28 April 2024 Bible Study

The speaker wants to discuss the appetite and language of believers. They explain that the believer's appetite goes beyond just food and includes everything they watch, listen to, and occupy themselves with. They emphasize the importance of feeding their minds with nourishing content that aligns with their faith. The speaker also mentions the importance of using language that aligns with the kingdom of God, distinguishing believers from the world. They highlight the language of faith, which calls things from the unseen and aligns with believers' beliefs, regardless of their current circumstances. The speaker encourages believers to speak words of truth and life, as their words have power and can create their reality. I would like us to have a discussion on the appetite and the language of a believer. That is what we're going to do and some of you who have been present in some of the sessions you are aware that we've been discussing the heart of the believer and we looked at the biblical perspective of leadership and life. So tonight I want us to look at the appetite and the language of the believer, both of them. So as believers we have to have the language that aligns with the kingdom of God and also things that we do, we watch, we see and things I think that should add value to our lives and align with our faith so that we can live a full life of faith. Before we could go to some few scriptures I want us to maybe look at the meaning of these words appetite and language and then we will go into scriptures. I will start with appetite. So the general definition of appetite the general definition of appetite is actually it says the desire to satisfy a need especially food another meaning it says is a strong desire or liking of something so what I want to say is that appetite for the believer is beyond it's beyond just food. It's everything that we watch, listen, you know things that we occupy ourselves with, they have a way of shaping us, who we are and what we do. So appetite it's also about what we feed our minds, what we read and what we watch and all these things have got a way of enhancing our mindset and our approach to life. When you read 1 Corinthians that's our favorite scripture chapter 10 verse 81 says so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do do it all for the glory of God. So from this scripture we then learn that everything that we do we must do it such that it honors God you know so as believers we need to honor God with all that we do. It doesn't matter how trivial is the task, how trivial is the act but we must be happy that our God is honored. John 4 chapter 34 Jesus says my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. So the other translation NLT says then Jesus explained my nourishment comes from doing of the will of God who sent me from finishing his work. So Jesus here was just making example with the issue of food that he likes in the doing of the will of God and the work of God as the food or nourishment. So in other words we as believers we have to do our lives aligning our lives finding nourishment from doing the will of God from that. So we have to be careful about that kind of diet and nourishment that we do because our life become a reflection of our nourishment. So when we want a different life we have to feed ourselves the weight we have to meditate on the weight we we have to careful when you read the book of the Lord must not depart from our mouth we must meditate on it day and night so that we can carefully observe everything that it says. So in other words when we do that we are then feeding our bodies right nourishment we then rely on what we fed ourselves then that's where success comes from and when we hide the weight of God in our heart so that we may carefully observe what it says we are nourishing our body with the good nutrients that then dictates our work. So also Philippians 4 verse 8 when you read it from NIV it says finally brothers and sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is lovely whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or pleasant think about such things so when our nourishment is okay then then we we we our thoughts you know are then pure our our our thoughts are lovely they are admirable they are right they are noble in the New Living Translation it says and now dear brothers and sisters one final thing fix your thoughts on what is true and what is honorable and what is right and pure and lovely and admirable think about such things and excellent and where they of praise so when we feed ourselves we choose the focus you know when you feed your mind you choose your focus what do you consume whether visual whether auditory whether seeing because you want your mind to be transformed to be renewed so we fix our eyes on on such things and there is no way that if we fix our thoughts on what's true honorable right and then we can behave contrary or inconsistent with what we are fixing our minds on in the ESV it says whatever is true whatever is honorable whatever is just whatever is pure whatever is loved whatever is commendable if there is anything worthy of praise think about this thing so so in other words there is a saying that whatever we focus on in life we magnify so when we focus on this noble just right honorable admirable what will be magnified about life is everything that aligns with it but when we focus on the opposite then the opposite will actually be visible in in in our lives so that is very true that we feed ourselves with what is noble what is commendable what is right then whatever that will come out of us because we've spoken when we spoke about the heart of the believer that whatever then the heart is full of then starts to manifest as such so it is important to then feed ourselves and the right nutrients right nourishment and then so that we can then be able to manifest that now i want us to move and speak about the look at the language of a believer in general language is the principal method of human communication consisting of words used in a structured conversation and conventional way and conveyed by speech writing or gesture or it's a system of communication used by a particular country or community so in other is the kingdom ambassadors is the is is the representatives of the kingdom of god there is a language that aligns with the kingdom of god that is expected of us so that we are we then can't adopt the worldly language or the language of unbelief because we are believers and our language needs to distinguish us and and and and separate us you know so we must need we must utilize the language of faith right as believers it is very true but we the language of faith is the language that calls the sin from the unseen is the language that aligns with our belief even if our circumstances temporarily are not aligned but we don't change our speech because things are not coming right you know we we speak to the mountains you know the bible says when you have faith say to this mountain and if you believe without a doubt it shall be so in other words we we our confession aligns with our belief and our circumstances doesn't make us change our confession we continue to believe what is the what is the truth of the word of god about our lives over our circumstances over our things that happen around us you know we we with disregard we we we we go beyond the when we focus we focus on the truth what is the truth of the word of god about my situation then i start speaking in line with the truth of the word i make confessions in line with the truth of the word i i continue to labor to believe up until my situation has been changed so that is the language we don't then adopt the language of agreeing with the situation agreeing with the circumstances agreeing with the things that are contrary to what we are believing god for you know that that is the language that we have to all possess that the language that we must say when you read the revelations no no as a as a as a church now community our language must be let's not go to revelation our language must then be a full of life you know before and our language must be faith language i think that's the first point i said hebrews 11 16 says and without faith it is impossible to please god because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who bless him so we understand that faith is a universal language of believers and we have to speak that language of faith number two is as believers our language must be full of life the the the the word of god in first corinthians 15 45 he says the scripture tells us that the first man adam became a living person but the last adam that is christ is a living is a life-giving spirit now when we are saved the bible says we believe in our heart we confess with our mouth then there's salvation so there's a translation from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light when we are were born after the last adam that is jesus christ who is a life-giving spirit now when you when you read the word of god in first john 4 chapter 7 it says if christ is so are we now we we we we are born after the last adam that is jesus christ now the last adam is a life-giving spirit then that makes us then the life-giving spirit so in other words our language must be then the language that is full of the way that is the language that is full of life when we when when when we when we speak you know a i think in in john chapter 6 the word of god says jesus the words that i i speak are spirit and are alive so that that is that is the the language of the believer that the words that we speak as must be we must understand that the words that we speak are spirit and alive so we we don't then become careless uh about about the way this john 6 60 63 we can just read it quickly john it is the spirit of his life the flesh conveys no benefit it is not it is of no account the words are spoken to your spirit and life providing eternal life so that's what we understand that we then must be careful of the words that we speak so because they are spirited in their life the words we speak create the world that we live in and we must then be be conscious of how we speak in in in general in all the time because of the programs 1821 reminds us that death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it with its fruit so so we create our wealth with the words we speak you know we can alter our environment with your words you know we may be in a situation where things are not okay you know sometimes because there is no one with kind way in the situation you know so who are in in a in in if you are married if you are not kind to your partner those words can create an environment where your relationship is not okay just because of the language and the words that are spoken and if you change the words and you speak well of your partner and that is the way of changing the environment it's exactly like that in life that the words that we can can create an environment that that that is we like or it can make the environment hostile so the power of the way is in us we have to continuously speak life you know the the bible contains many more insights about language you know which which is just more than the way it's obviously that that we we need to understand for our everyday life Ephesians chapter 4 verse 29 it says do not let i'm reading from NIV in unwholesome talk come out of your mouth but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs and it may benefit those who listen now this this passage gives us a purpose and in the context of of our way now it says do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth so unwholesome talk then it gives the standard then anything that doesn't meet the next part of the verse is what could be contrary that unwholesome it says but only what is helpful for building others so in other words the language or the words that we speak in them they must be helpful for building others so as long as the words are not helpful then talk is not wholesome and then it says it you don't it's not just helpful on building others up but it says according to the earning now the standard is not that it must be helpful to build others according to our needs who are releasing words or who are speaking or having a conversation it says it must be helpful and building others up according to their needs you know and then a deadly is talking about that it may benefit those who would so paul here is was writing to the church in ephesus is addressing that the standard of the talk that is considered wholesome complete correct is the conversation that is not selfish in other words it's consent of of other two is the conversation that build others up according to their needs not according to our need so in other words it's the one that is considerate of the needs of others and then deadly talks about the same talk must then benefit those who listen so in other words i don't only just speak to benefit myself but my speech and my language and my words must be that of benefit of of those who listen to them so every time we have then a desire to have conversation to have certain things this we can use as a standard to check and say is is my talk a a wholesome is it helpful for building other up is it building them up according to my needs or their needs you know is it benefiting me or is it benefiting the listener so that is that is what was shared when you read in the nlt it actually don't use foul or abusive language let everything you say be good and helpful so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear that so here it talks about that we we have a responsibility as believers that our language must be characterized by good and helpful outcome and also through our words there must be encouragement so we can then be the opposite it's something that we should be wary of we should look after and make sure that it doesn't characterize us that we are we use foul or our abusive language is something that that shouldn't be our language also if our language is not good or is not helpful and if our words should not bring discouragement they should bring an encouragement you know the esv put it nicely says let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth only such as is good for building up as fits the occasion that it may give grace to those who hear so as we believe as believers we have a responsibility to ensure that our talk is not corrupting not foul not abusive you know or unwholesome and and then it continues then to say it it must be good for building up we've established that and also it says it may give grace to those who hear so we have a responsibility that in our speech in our talk sorry it must then be characterized by by grace by encouragement so that is the language of the believer also when you read genesis 11 that story is a famous story about the tower that was being built and and one characteristic that is highlighted in the word is that they were the people who built they were of one language and one speech so they were not just united in action but you could tell based on their speech that these people are united so that is the that is the challenge for us as believers that our language somehow should communicate more than the words that we say and people should pick up those elements which we've just spoken about in the language that we speak now we are told in verse six that and the lord said behold because people are one and they have all one language this they and this they begin to do and now nothing will be restrained from them which they would have imagined to to do so in other words when there's unity of language unity of speech unity of action the lord is saying here whatever we imagine whatever we set our eyes to do then it can it can always be that so in other words it can't be restrained so sometimes there are things that collectively we are unable to achieve and the challenge is not sometimes even the lack of resources or anything is the fact that we are not of one language we are not of one speech we are not united in the activity that we need to do then we find out that what we imagine what we like to do then is restrained or we are unable to achieve because of that so here we are told of the power of unity in language unity in in action that whatever we begin to imagine or to do it cannot be restrained from us so as believers we must understand that the things that the body of christ can achieve most of them they are they are hindered by the lack of unity in language in speech in action because once there is that alignment the once there is that unity then the the the things that was intended to fully manifest through the church then they will begin to manifest but it will take all of us you know it will take all of us i mean in the same level we understand that only to god to then realize that he must then confuse their language so that they will not understand each other's speech then they cannot be able to build so in other words the power of building together something that was growing was on the foundation of unity of language and speech then the resources were attracted to that kind of unit and then whatever that they wanted to do was just growing and growing and growing so this is it's something that we must understand that the language of a belief when we have same language like these people that are spoken of in genesis 11 even today then we can be able to achieve a lot we can do exploits for for the for the kingdom so we have to to to to to to always desire that we manifest of unity in language unity in in in in in in speech and then we act together then god will give us their need because then when we are united we will have complementary things we will work together to source the resources but the drive will be that we want the same goal we are united in wanting the same for as long as we are divided in that aspect there is little we can do but not only in the life of a church context in our lives i mean if you are a family in the family that is divided cannot achieve much a business where people that are involved are not united it cannot go much any endeavor where the language is different then it's difficult to achieve greater greater greater in the final three verse nine the word says for at the time i will change the speech of people as pure speech to a pure speech that all of them may call upon the name of the lord and send them with one accord so so here it's another emphasis that when when for the unity then it it's linked into the issue of the speech or language that must first be be be unified first corinthians 14 9 it says so with yourself if with your tongue your utter speech that is not intelligible how will anyone know what is said for you will be speaking into the earth so here is another powerful language that we need to speak a wholesome language a wholesome talk a language that is considered intelligible because then the the effectiveness of all the our speech actually whatever that we say it's always measured by the fact that the recipient got it right they got benefited from what what it is so beyond just being eloquent in what we say the question is was it comprehended the papers the context and the understanding of it was it what was it meant to be so it is important that every time we will then have the speech or anything to say when we say that there was effectiveness in it it means the context content and purpose of of it it is actually understood for what it was meant to be colossians 4 6 it says let your speech always be gracious seasoned with salt so that you may know how you ought to answer each person so here is another emphasis that every believer speech needs to be gracious full of grace and it must be seasoned with salt it must influence positively positively bring about God's flavors in in it so that when we leave those who get to hear us they may be nourished they may be encouraged by what they they receive from from from us Exodus chapter 4 verse 10 to 12 it says but Moses said to the lord oh my lord i'm not eloquent either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant but i'm slow of speech and of tongue then not the lord said to him who has made man's mouth who makes him mute or deaf seeing or blind is it not i the lord now therefore go and i will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak so many times we also make examples like Moses when God gives us a mission and then we start saying no i cannot speak i cannot say this but here the lord was just saying is the one that gives us a mouth and is the one that will enable us to do what he has called us to do so as believers we don't have to be worried about being eloquent according to the worldly standard but we must rely on the fact that our father who sends us and deploys us is able even to make us eloquent on the things that we know knew nothing about because if he requires us to speak then gives us words to speak examples to make and how to to address it so that what he intends to do through us it is done through us most of the time it's just us that hinders that process by then making excuses disqualifying ourselves from whatever that he has called us to do so in the Isaiah 50 verse 4 it says the lord has given me the tongue of those who are taught that i may know how to sustain with the weight him who is well morning by morning he awakens my ear to hear those who are taught so so in other words here the the the lord gives all of us a a knowledge you know to sustain with the weight those who are well so i mean he cannot demand that our talk must be of encouragement if he has not seasoned uh what we are about to speak so that it can then bring forth the the purpose and the desire uh outcome you know that that that that that that that is up to his people that needs to to hear psalms 19 verse 1 to 4 it says to the choir master okay the heavens today the lord of god the sky above proclaims his handiwork day to day pulls out speech and night to night reveals knowledge there is no speech nor are the words whose voice is not heard their voice goes out to all the earth and their words to the end of the world in in them he has set a time for the sun so here we understand that then every speech obviously it consists of words but then there is a voice that is heard behind the words that are spoken you know so for every speech it comprises of words and then in those words there is a voice that is heard behind behind the words so in other words that is why it is possible to hear same words that are spoken but you hear different voices from the same speech so i mean a simple example when the word is spoken when some of when we go to church to listen to the sharing of the word as the same words are spoken but the holy spirit may start to to make us hear certain things you know that he wants us to hear other concerning our lives or our situation but you find that the pastor or the minister is saying same way to 10 people but they are hearing different things that proves that then there is a voice that is behind the words that we begin to hear to decode whatever words that are spoken to us and obviously the holy spirit helps us more to be able then to to understand what what what what what is happening you know it's 22 verse 2 it says and when they heard that he was addressing them in hebrew language they became even more quiet and he continued so there's a language that we need to speak that makes people to listen and hear what we are saying you know so it's very important that when when our language is aligned with the kingdom when we allow the holy spirit then to lead even our speech the choice of words and how we say it's because then the voice that needs to be heard through those uttering of the words then it becomes different you know it's you know same message but it impacts people and individuals differently and when we are led by the holy spirit we are able to then incorporate what the spirit wants in those words for the impact and for the benefit of those who are the recipients of of the words so then the language is very important you know and the understanding that we don't just speak because we have a mouth but there is a purpose there is intent you know there is a standard that god has set for believers when do when we speak you know so so that is very important that we we we we we are conscious of that and we live from that and there's much more benefit in isaiah 65 verse 11 says every word that uh proceeds oh it says it will not come back to me void without accomplishing let me read it from the emplified isaiah as i know yeah it says so will my weight be which goes out of my mouth it will not return to me void useless without results without accomplishing what i desire and without succeeding in the matter for which i said remember we spoke in john 163 that the words that we speak are spirit in their life and the words have got power when they are positive they build something when they're negative they also have the effect and i think in in in effusions then we we learn that that definition of what is the wholesome talk and what is what is really majored on that because it's a higher standard than our language only you know in terms of in terms of that so but we must know that we possess the power you know we can alter our environment we can alter our situation just by the words that we sent when we understand that they are beyond the way you know their voice behind then there is power also that is that is behind what we speak then we we we do not for the language which is inclusive of the speech and everything becomes something that we are conscious of the time that we should remain full to eat you know even if people could step on your toes you know it's not okay to say because you have stepped on my toes now i must swear at you you know that is not unwholesome thought there is no condition that says no i must my speech must be seasoned with salt if the people i'm talking to are good if the people i'm talking to i go to the same church with no we have to witness even with the language we you know those who work in corporate world in the mining language is the use of foul language is normal you know people say like they they were taught in their childhood but as a believer what do you do in that environment do you say no do you say no i must now speak that language or you continue to speak the language of the wholesome talk the one that paul talked about in season you know say not say no everybody speaks right then i'll speak right when they speak foul i will speak foul when they swear no the standard is high and we are able to influence season and brighten the world with the language that we speak as believers and that language if we want the fruit of better relationships there is a language that you can consistently use that can change your relationship there's a language that you consistently use that you can change your circumstances you can change everything around you so so so i i just want to say today that it's it's important that we understand the language of a belief and if we can get by just training ourselves is not only about telling our kids what not to do we model it that it becomes a standard you know and we practice it until it's something that that it's a very second nature you know when we talk about second nature is those things that you don't have to ink up something else before it becomes a default thing that comes and we begin to be like people in genesis 11 then that were so much of one language one speech one task that whatever they imagined whatever they were doing was just growing and growing they would hear each other understand each other they were able to then make a difference and make something you know that looked impossible possible because of the unit of language so i want to say in my conclusion there might be mountains you are facing and maybe the language we've been using and dealing with them has not been okay tonight the father just is reminding us that he has given us the language that is able to change things change situations alter relationships you know bring about the things that we want to see and and the things that will unite us and be able to call upon the sources so that we can be able to achieve the impossible let me open up for comments contributions on the subject is a bible study by the way it's not the preaching so that's all i just had prepared for today um thank you so much for the um i think what stood out for me is the language we call since consistently that's just that's just spoke to me in a different way consistently used because then i'll find myself wanting to change the circumstance that you find that i don't constantly say the same thing and maybe i only say it when i pray and then after praying i speak a different thing because i'm just as you said that i was looking at oh maybe this is why some situations don't change in my life because i'm not consistently saying the same thing i don't know it just spoke to me like manga if you consistently say one thing about this matter it will eventually change so that's what i took that's what stood up for me like tonight and thank you for that thank you thank you uh any other contributions guys and that is to out of the abundance of the heart speak thank you any other contribution good evening and thanks to be i know i joined late coming from work but i i believe and listening to you it it got me to to then also say colossians chapter 3 verse 16 the first part of chapter 6 of the 16 rather says let the words of christ in all their richness live in your hearts and make you wise and use these ways to teach and to counsel each other and then that is basically what has happened tonight for us and then then then to confirm again to say we we we always have an opportunity to to to grow together we always have an opportunity to get better at what we are doing and hence ultimately there's an expectation that we are all teachers of the faith this cannot be about what we call senior pastors all of us as believers we have this responsibility and then because paul has given outline for how we can teach and now we can learn from each other and then therefore it is expected of us that we will let the words of christ to continue to live in our hearts and we continue to use god's weight in order to teach and to counsel each other so that ultimately you you can always look back and say you know what i became better in what i'm doing and what i'm expected to do because of the teachings and the learnings and the counsel that i'm receiving from other believers so thank you for for sharing pastor b i know that i'm better than a the hour i i had not joined a this this this meeting coming to this meeting a for me i know i'm a better person i'm a better believer and i would continue to be doing what i do better than yesterday thank you now thank you so much yes with the with those words and the scripture just right i think it just summarizes very nicely because then the issue of the language as long as christ has permitted every part of our being then we are able to to be consistent in in that but thank you so much for sharing true that we this we are a community of believers we learn from each other and we learn from the teaching and in the community we help each other you know and and and we grow together that in all purpose that we grow and we are grounded in the in the in the teachings of the word and we can do this life much better because the whole purpose of the bible studies to equip us uh as a as a as believers for for life and for everything that god has deployed us to do so that we are we are we have it and thank you so so much guys and um i don't know if before we close we still have a few minutes is there any other contribution on this we good all right so so thank you so much guys and um and just continue we'll ask linda through so please let's just say when we have time try and and make use of that material in equipping ourselves for growth so that we become better very very very very very very important but i think my my prayer tonight is that may our appetite be changed so that we can focus on the things that align with what the father wants us to do may may our language be perfected progressively consistently continuously you know so that all the benefit of the language could then come to pass in in in in our lives that the power and the life that is full in our ways may bring about life in others and benefit others that we may be distinct in the language that we have and the impact and the benefit of other people in the name of jesus amen