"Every Idle Word"

Matthew 12:36,37

Jesus believed that speech is important. I wouldn't think anybody would dispute that. We use our tongues on a daily basis, and when we hear of someone who is mute or impaired in their speech through some physical, medical or emotional condition, we are sorry and perhaps entertain the fear of suffering such a loss. The argument is made by James that the tongue is a small part of the human body, but has great potential for either good or evil.

Our speech reveals who we are. How do we get to know someone? We probably don't study their picture or stare at them. We talk to them and listen to them. Communication is the primary way we get to know one another and form bonds of fraternity and friendship. Our speech reveals who we are.

In Matt. 26:73, some of those who were standing by at the arrest of Jesus noticed that one of his disciples was there, Simon Peter. How did they know that? "For the way you talk gives you away!" Earlier, in Matt. 12:34, the Lord said that "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." People learn about us by listening to what we say, and how we say it. We become acquainted with people through the same medium.

Just think of all that can be done through speech. In speech there is the power to instruct, motivate, comfort, control and hurt. No wonder Jesus said:

"But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned," (Matt. 12:36).

Jesus emphasizes one simple truth here: We will give account for our speech. I hope we all realize, anything that can condemn us on the Judgment Day is important right now. You will not be condemned on that day because you made less money than another. You will not be consigned to punishment because you were not as pretty or handsome as another, or not as athletic. You will not be condemned by Him because you didn't attain a certain social status, you were not popular, talented, educated enough or didn't belong to the right political party. But every idle word you will give account for. This is something so important, Jesus tells us it can condemn us on the Judgment Day.

We must prepare now for the accounting that will occur then. "For we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad," (2 Cor. 5:10). Notice: "Each one ... for the things done while in the body ... whether good or bad!" Jesus said, "every idle word."

Are you ready for this final accounting of your speech? "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books," (Rev. 20:12). John says, in verse 15 of this chapter, that if anyone's name was not found written in the Book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire. What are we doing now to get ready for all of this then?

I found this recently that may help us examine ourselves: "I am more deadly than the screaming shell of the cannon. I win without killing. I tear down homes, break hearts, wreck lives. I travel on the wings of the wind. No innocence is strong enough to intimidate me, no purity pure enough to daunt me. I have no regard for truth, no respect for justice, no mercy for the defenseless. My victims are as numerous as the sands of the sea and often as innocent. I never forget and seldom forgive. My name is Gossip."

By Warren E. Berkley
From Expository Files 7.4; April 2000

The Teacher Teaches Us to Pray
Matthew 6:9-13

It is an amazing thing to think about. We have all heard teachers and preachers tell us about God. Some are accurate and some not when they speak to us about these matters. But Jesus, God in the flesh, is unique as a teacher. His teaching was special because it was the word of God, not just words of men about God. Jesus came to tell us directly what God expects of us. We'll look specifically at His teaching on prayer. Consider the "Lord's Prayer" (Matthew 6:9-13).

Our Father
"Our Father who art in heaven" (Matthew 6:9). Jesus teaches that God loves us and provides for us in a similar way to a loving parent (see also Matthew 7:7-11). There are two senses of Godly Fatherhood:

(1) Our origin is through Him and we bear His image by creation. (Genesis 1:26,27; Acts 17:28).

(2) Fallen in sin, we become part of His spiritual family by spiritual rebirth (John 3:3-5; 1:12,13).

Jesus also teaches that God, the Father, is in heaven. That is where His throne is. We can only begin to imagine the beauty, wonder and majesty of that heavenly sphere, but if we are faithful, the day will come when we will not have to use our imaginations (Revelation 4:5; 5:6; 7:15-17).

Also, we are taught to be reverent as we address God in prayer. "Hallowed (or "holy") be Thy name" God's name is to be placed in a separate category from all other names. It is distinct; it is His alone. He is above all others (Isaiah 57:17).

The Kingdom
"Thy Kingdom Come" (Matthew 6:10). It is not a physical, earthly kingdom that Jesus is praying about, though it is fine to pray for our nation and its rulers. But the kingdom of God is a different kind of kingdom. Jesus refused to have any part of being an earthly king (John 6:15; 18:36).

Instead, He came to establish a spiritual kingdom. (Acts 8:12; Colossians 1:13). It was Divinely ordained to be established in the first century, and it was (Mark 9:1).

Those who are looking for Jesus to come and set up an earthly kingdom are mistaken, just as much as those who were looking for such a kingdom back in the first century. Wherever men and women obey the good news, or gospel of the kingdom, they are submitting to King Jesus and become citizens of His spiritual kingdom. One day, He will return to take His kingdom home to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:23-26).

The Will of God
"Thy will be done" (Matthew 6:10). Jesus had, and taught us to have, the utmost respect for God's will. His will must take precedence even over our own wills. A good example of this attitude was displayed by Jesus as He faced the cross. His prayer acknowledged the precedence of the Father's will over His own will in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39).

It is easy to say, "I really, really want God's will to be done" but those who really want it to be done are active in making it happen! It would be a rather empty prayer to pray "Thy will be done... but let someone else do it, not me!" (John 12:27,28).

God's Care
"Give us this day our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11). This part of Jesus' prayer shows us that it is appropriate to call upon God for our physical needs. Not only our bread, but all of our physical necessities; our health, shelter, and so forth.

But like many other things, we must act in faith to advance that for which we pray, and trust in God as we do so. It would be wrong to tempt God by jumping off a building as we ask for good health. (Matthew 4:5-7).

Also, to pray for our daily bread but then to fail to do what God says we need to do to secure it shows a lack of faith (Ephesians 4:28) Good things come to us from God (1 Timothy 4:4-6).

Forgiveness
"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matthew 6:12). After the prayer, Jesus explains that it is necessary to be forgiving in order to receive forgiveness from God (Matthew 6:14,15).

In a remarkable example of being eager to forgive, Jesus prayed that God might forgive those who crucified Him even as the very deed was being done (Luke 23:34)!. This prayer was answered for some of them when they later obeyed the gospel - and that was exactly what Jesus wanted for them (Acts 2:36-38).

Spiritual Guidance
"'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil." (Matthew. 6:13). It may seem peculiar to ask God not to lead us into temptation. He wouldn't tempt us with evil (James 1:13). So what does this mean?

It is simply to acknowledge a God who delivers from evil and to keep us from situations which might prove to be too much for us to handle. We can be sure that God will do this for His people who live by faith (Matthew 26:40,41; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Peter 2:9).

Conclusion
"[For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.]" (Matthew 6:13b). The kingdom belongs to God. Power and glory are His as well, today and tomorrow and forever. We see the Master teacher who proclaimed the glory and power of God. For those who want to see Jesus, they will find the answers to life and its purpose. Eternity is coming, and to be in God's kingdom, saved by His power, and to ever share in His glory is as noble an ambition as we can have, and there is no greater blessing.

By Jon W. Quinn
From Expository Files 14.12; December 2007

The Gospel of John

The Gospel of John was penned by the aged Apostle in about 85 AD. It was the last of the four Gospels to be written. By the time this book was circulated among the Christian community, the other Gospels were household words. People the world over had already the accounts of the life of Christ as recorded by Matthew, Mark and Luke. These first three Gospels are called the Synoptic Gospels. The word "synoptic" means "to see together." This means that the first three Gospels contain many of the same stories and teachings, but told from a different angle. Yet, each fully inspired by the Lord.


John's Gospel is different! In the pages of this wonderful book, we see a side of Christ that the other Gospel writers do not touch on. John was part of that blessed inner circle. That handful of Disciples that was with Christ during some of His most intimate moments. In this Gospel John gives us 21 blessed chapters. Chapters that, as each unfolds, presents a new facet of His divine character. As time goes by, I intend to preach from each of these portraits of Christ that John gives us. We will call this series Portraits Of Christ In John's Gallery.


In this opening chapter, John paints a picture of Jesus: The Word Of God, and it that image that we want to focus in on tonight. Let's look together at Jesus: The Word Of God. Three truths are revealed in these verses about the Word of God.

I. V. 1-3 JESUS IS THE PREEXISTENT WORD

A. V. 1a He Is The Constant Word - According to this verse, Jesus has simply always existed! He didn't come into being in Bethlehem, but He has been here throughout all the endless ages of eternities past. (Ill. Was in verse 1 = "always has been." Contrast this with was in verse 6. This word used concerning John the Baptist means simply "to become." John became, but Jesus always has been!) Thank God He is the constant, unchanging Word of God - Heb. 13:8. That is why the Christian can depend on Jesus. He will never fail us nor leave us - Heb. 13:5.

B. V. 1b He Is The Communing Word - This phrase says that Jesus "was with God." That is, He was present in the heavenlies in the presence of God, yet He stood as a distinct Person. (Ill. When this phrase is taken along side the other 2 in this verse, the reality of the Trinity is on display. This verse teaches us that Jesus is God, yet He is still a unique being.

(Ill. Jesus Christ wasn't an after thought with God. He wasn't something conjured up when things got out of control. Jesus was there when God moved to make man in His image - Gen. 1:26. Jesus was there in Heaven when the plan to redeem the world was formulated - Rev. 13:8; Eph. 1:4; Titus 1:2; 1 Pet. 1:19-20. Since before time began Jesus was with the Father in Heaven.)

C. V. 1c He Is The Controversial Word - When Jesus came preaching repentance, Mark 1:15, men thought He was strange. When He began to heal and perform miracles, men thought He was a prophet sent by God, John 3:2. When He spoke the Word of God with power, men thought He was amazing, Luke 4:36. However, when Jesus claimed equality with God, men thought He was crazy, John 19:7. He stopped being a blessing and became a controversy when He claimed to be God, John 14:9, "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?"

(Ill. Men still grapple with these truths! They are willing to accept the humble Christ, the teaching Christ, the meek Christ, the dead Christ, the serving Christ. However, they will not give acknowledgment to the God/Man Jesus Christ. He is still 100 % God and 100% man all wrapped up in one. It is best summed up by Paul in Phil. 2:5-8. In these amazing verses, the Apostle sets forth in clear, concise language, the fact that Jesus existed before Bethlehem. That He willing humbled Himself and came to this world in the condition of a servant. (Ill. Form = condition) Jesus is God in human flesh!)

D. V. 3 He Is The Creative Word - This verse tells us that Jesus was the energy behind the creation of the universe. He spoke and it was! He stood on the edge of nothing and spoke all this into existence, Col. 1:16-17.

(Ill. I am grateful that this God is my God, that this Savior is my Savior! I am glad that I can know Him the free pardon of sin and that salvation is in His control. The worries and pressures of life begin to grow amazingly dim when confronted with the power and might of our all powerful Savior - Matt. 28:18!)

E. These four truths, taken as one give us the clear teaching that Jesus is the pre-existent Word of God. He has always been and He always will be! Thank God, there will never be a day throughout eternity that doesn't include Jesus! No matter where we wind up, or what we have to face as we travel through this world, we can rest assured that the pre-existent One is, and always will be, there for us. He is the pre-existent Word of the Living God!

II. V. 14 JESUS IS THE PERSONALIZED WORD

(Ill. This verse is one of the clearest in all the Bible regarding the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Incarnation being a fifty cent word that simply means "the bodily manifestation of a supernatural being.")
A. The Manner Of His Incarnation - This verse tells us that "The Word became flesh and dwelled among us." The manner of His incarnation is a mystery. How could God become a man? The answer to this question lies in the mind of God alone. All we know is that God chose a virgin named Mary and caused her to miraculously conceive and bring forth a baby. I do know that on that night when Jesus was born, God had come to earth. Somehow, the Word, became flesh! While Jesus himself had existed from all eternities past, He took up on Himself a robe of flesh there in Bethlehem. The Creator was born to the creature. God placed His life in the hands of mortals. My what a scene that must have been!

(Ill. This verse says that God "dwelled" among us. That word is rich in meaning. It literally means that Jesus pitched His tent here among mortals. He lived among us, worked among us, prayed among us, suffered among us and died among us. God walked upon the earth and was unrecognized by many who came into close contact with Him. Ill. What a tragedy that men came in contact with the Savior and still failed to recognize Him.)

(Ill. Recently, President Clinton journeyed to Israel. It cost the United States and the Israeli government millions of dollars and much frustration to accommodate him there. Yet, when he arrived, they gave him a wonderful welcome. 2,000 years ago, God came to Jerusalem and they killed Him. Isn't is amazing that the President of the United States of America is safer in this world than God was.)

B. The Mystery Of His Incarnation - The word was "made" flesh. This word carries the meaning "to appear in history, to step onto the stage." There in Bethlehem, God stepped out of eternity and onto the stage of human history. He came a tangible proof of the existence of God and of God's willingness to save mankind. When He was here on earth and through the record left to you and me, we can see that Jesus came to this world to reveal God to man. He did this through the medium of His flesh - 1 John 1:1. (Ill. Often, I envy those men, then I remember the words of Jesus - John 20:24-29. Not everyone who saw Jesus on this earth came to faith in Him!

C. The Majesty Of His Incarnation - (Ill. "We beheld His glory") John actually saw the glory of Jesus in a very real sense. In Matthew 17, John, along with James and Peter accompanied Jesus upon a mountain side. There Jesus allowed the veil of His flesh to be pulled aside and He revealed the glory that was concealed beneath. Jesus concealed His heavenly fame within an earthly frame. However, His greatest glory was revealed the day He allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross and died for sinners. On Calvary, the glory of God was in sharp focus! After all, That was the reason Jesus left the halls of Heaven and came to live among men. He took upon Himself a robe of flesh so that He might be able to die for mankind. That is what He did for each and every one of us this evening. To me the greatest evidence of the glory of God is the broken body of Jesus Christ having demonstrated His love for me in the clearest of terms, Rom. 5:8.

III. V. 18 JESUS IS THE PROCLAIMING WORD

(Ill. According to this verse, Jesus came to reveal God to man. The word "declare" means "to unfold." Every thing the Lord did was simply in an effort to unfold more of the revelation of God to man. Men needed to see God not just as a Lawgiver, but also as a lover. Not only as a judge, but as a justifier. Not as some stern, hateful being, but as a saving, caring God. Jesus did just this by His life - John 14:7-9; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3. Jesus came to put God on display before men and He did this in two primary ways.)

A. V. 4-9 He Came To Proclaim Light - He came to a world in spiritual darkness and opened the curtains of grace revealing the truth of God to men wandering in darkness. Jesus came to illuminate the pathway of men toward God. This light will accomplish one of two things. It will either cause men to repent of their sins and run to the opened arms of the Lord, or it will cause them to reject the light and continue on their course of darkness. One will lead to salvation, the other will lead to damnation! John 3:36!

(Ill. Thank God for the light that He gave fallen man! Now, we do not have to be bound by the stringent rules of Law but are free to respond to the lovely pleadings of grace. And, praise the Lord, this light reaches out to all men - v. 9! Even me!)

B. V. 10-13 He Came To Proclaim Life - Jesus came to His people, who had His Word and were living in His promised land. He came to tell then that there was a way to come to the Father and to experience eternal life. In what may be the saddest verse in the Bible, they refused this call from the sinner's friend to come to Him. However, verse 12-13 make is clear that anyone who will respond positively to the light of God and will come to Jesus and receive Him into their heart and life will experience the new birth and will enter into eternal life.

(Ill. John makes it clear in verse 13 that this life comes not by our natural birth (not by blood), not by our own good works (not the will of the flesh), not the work of another, (the will of man), but only through the will of God. And, just what is the will of the Father? John 6:36-40! There is only one entrance into life and that is through the Son of God. He is the Door, John 10:9; and He is the Way, John 14:6. If anyone will enter into life, they will enter through Jesus!)

 I can't say that I understand all these truths that are contained in this passage, but I can say that I like them pretty good! I just praise the Lord for revealing Himself and His Father to people like us. I am glad that an old sinner like myself can come to Jesus by simple faith and can be eternally saved by His grace. I may not know a lot about this old Book, but I am glad I know the Word of God personally this afternoon. How about you? If you have never met Jesus in the free pardon of sin, now is your time. Jesus stands ready to reveal the Father to you. He waits for you to respond to His light so He can give you of His life. Will you do what you need to do this evening and come to Jesus?

Message - God placed us in Christ

Audio Bible

America worships Jesus

Song - Chris Tomlin