Sermon Title: Words of Affirmation
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.
Sometimes the words that we hear can give us the most encouragement that we could ever receive otherwise. And for some people, the best way they convey and receive love is through words of affirmation. Given this, Christians should be experts at blessing others through their words, but sadly, this is not the case. Too many Christians use their words to criticize and talk about others, their by using words to hurt, hinder and even destroy relationships.
Dr. Gary Smalley writes that God uses His Words to affirm His creation. He says:
“All of the words from God affirm the worth of human beings. Modern nihilistic thinking concludes that people are worthless and their lives have no meaning, but that is not the message of the Scriptures. All of the specific commands of God in both the Old and New Testaments affirm our worth, flow from His love, and direct us toward a higher goal. Some people find the commands of God restrictive and rebel against them. But those who know God believe that His prohibitions are designed to keep them from those things that would destroy them. They also believe the admonitions of God are designed to help them experience life’s highest good.
The God of the Bible is characterized as the God who speaks. His words are designed to build a relationship with people. The Scriptures consistently declare God’s words of encouragement:
• “Do not fear, for I am with You; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
• “For I know the plans I have for you … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
• “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”
• “I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.”
Christians should follow the example that God has set forth and use words of affirmation to bless others. In using such words, we will affirm our experiences, others experiences and seek to bless, not curse, others in our lives. We will speak more about this on Sunday, as we start a new sermon series entitled, “Love Languages: Fives Ways to Give and Receive Love.” Please bring a friend with you as we celebrate “Friend Day.” I hope to see you then!
