Empty Words Psalm 41:6

 

Grace, mercy and peace to you, from God, our Father, and our Jesus Christ, who gives us His good words to believe and live by.

 

Our Lenten series is based on Psalm 41. Tonight’s message comes from verse 6: And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad.

 

We’re going to talk about Empty Words versus words that mean something, words that make a difference, words that have a positive impact, and words that are benevolent, trustworthy and true.

 

James says in our Epistle tonight: 5… the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

 

Our reading from Psalm 52, poses the question: 1Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? 

 

Not that those who boast of evil are mighty, but they imagine themselves to be so. To boast of evil is make yourself out to be greater than God, who condemns evil, and commands holy love.

 

To brag about our wrong-doing, to glory in our sins, and in the sins of others, and in the evil that exists in our world, is an arrogant and tragic thing to do. 

 

It helps no one and hurts everyone; and it dishonors God, who created us to glory in what’s good and loving. 

 

To encourage and revel in sin and wrong-doing is to our shame, not to our glory.

 

In contrast to our sin is God’s love. Psalm 52 continues: The steadfast love of God endures all the day.

 

And we could add to that, all the night, and all the week, and all the year, all the century, all the millennium, and all eternity. 

 

Jesus says, Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

 

This fallen world will pass away, but God’s Word will, not only survive the passing away of this world, but will thrive all the more in eternity, in Heaven’s truth and glory, where God’s Word is gladly obeyed and celebrated, and never mocked or opposed.

 

In Heaven, where only holy love exists, there’ll be no empty words, no misleading words, no mean words, no words that seek to harm and hurt and tear down and destroy, only words that are true, and loving, and encouraging.

 

In Heaven, no words that boast of or glory in sin, or evil, or wrong-doing of any kind are spoken, or even thought of… but all the words of Heaven, that are spoken by God, and by His saints, and by His angels, are spoken in truth and love, for the benefit of others, and to the glory and praise of God.

 

Each word spoken will be a blessing to us, and to others, and will honor God.

 

So let us now on earth, practice a more heavenly way of speaking and thinking, and communicating, for the good of others, and to the glory of God… instead of speaking words that glory in sin and deceit and destruction. 

 

Psalm 52 continues… 2Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. 3You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. 4You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.

 

In our Epistle, James says, How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6Likewise the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

James pulls no punches here, but speaks the truth about evil words, and the consequences of them… 

 

… they set things on fire, as in Hell, where the words spoken will be so terribly, horribly vicious and malicious, never kind nor encouraging, never loving toward others, never true, but always meant to deceive, and to sting and hurt, and hate, and tear others down.

 

May our words on earth be less like the evil words of Satan and Hell, and more like the true words of Christ, and the holy words of Heaven.

 

As we’ve said before, the words of Psalm 41 are most of all about the Messiah, and how people would treat, or mistreat, Him including tonight’s text, verse 6: And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad.

 

Now one was more lied about, no one had more evil things said about Him, and terrible things done to Him, than God’s own Son.

 

Even today, so many lies are told about Jesus, and His Word, and His Church. 

 

It’s telling, I think, that atheism attacks Christianity and the Gospel, so much more, far more than any of the other religion.

 

It’s the Gospel that the devil wants to discredit and spread lies about. 

 

The devil wants nothing more for you, than for you to suffer and be unhappy and miserable, not only today, not only tomorrow and the next day, but forever…

 

… he can’t bear to think of you being happy and holy, rejoicing in Heavenly love and glory forever…

 

… which is one of the many reasons he so violently and maliciously opposed Jesus…

 

… and conspired with Jesus’ enemies on earth, to spread every lie that they could think of about Him…

 

… as we mentioned in our message last Wednesday, even spreading lies that Jesus was healing people and casting out demons by the power of the devil… 

 

… also spreading lies that were designed to get Jesus crucified, lies that He was a traitor, leading a political revolution.

 

Jesus’ enemies went to Pilate with these lies, to have Jesus stopped and destroyed, once and for all, or so they thought. 

 

But that’s not how it ended, because it had been said about the Messiah in Scripture, and the prophecies of Scripture always come true, it had been  promised and prophesied by Job: I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end, He will stand upon the earth… He will rise to life again, on the third day.

 

And there are the words that Jesus said about Himself: Destroy this temple, and in three days, I will raise it up again.

 

Go ahead, kill me, crucify me, and on the third day, I will rise and walk out of my grave, eternally healed and forever victorious.

 

All the words that were spoken against Jesus, proved to be empty and untrue.

 

Let us never believe the lies that are said about Jesus… nor the lies that contradict God’s Word, and still are spread by those who despise God, and mock His Word.

 

When Jesus returns in power and glory, with all His saints and holy angels, the truth about Him will be plain to see… 

… He is who He claims to be… and He does what He promises to do.

 

Let us be thoughtful and wise, enlightened by Scripture and guided by the Holy Spirit in the words we speak.

 

Let us measure our words, so that they don’t ring hollow, or prove empty…

 

… and so that the things we say don’t mislead, or deceive, or exaggerate, or misrepresent, or disrespect, or harm our neighbor, or dishonor our Savior.

 

With our words and our hearts, let us repent of the wrong we do and say, and hear the words of promise in Absolution, that our sins are forgiven, all of them, entirely, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

 

Father, Son and Holy Spirit… those words that name and identify our God, three-in-one, entirely unique, as no one else is, or ever will be, but only God alone.

 

With His help, may our words praise, honor, glorify, and bear witness to Him, for they are the words that are never foolish, or in vain, or empty. 

 

The words of the Lord for us are packed full of truth and love and wisdom: they bless the heart, enrich the mind, and save the soul. 

 

And finally, they give us that peace the world cannot give, the peace of God, that passes understanding, and guards our hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus, whose words are never empty, but always mighty and true. Amen.