1. Introduction:
· Proverbs 18:21 – “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”.
· People are spirit beings – the words we speak are containers that carry spirit content.
· We use words to express ourselves – to express what is harbored in our inner man.
· Words we speak have power to impart death or life – to change the course of our world.
· James 3:3-5 - The tongue – like a bridle or rudder – steers the course of our life.
· This week: Shaping the Inner World by the Word of God.
2. Changing the Way You Speak:
· Ephesians 4:29 - “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for edification that it might impart grace to the hearers”.
· The person you hear the most is yourself!
· Every person has an ongoing self-talk – 150-300 words p/min.
· Much of it is just about daily activities but can be negative/destructive e.g. “I’ll never be able to do that!”
· Ongoing self –talk that is negative creates “ruts in the mind” (neural pathways) and forms inner beliefs about life that can be hugely restrict or release.
e.g. Insurance Salesmen, athletes – formation of inner life key to top performance.
· “Impart Grace” = to supply something that is needed to build and
strengthen.
= the super natural ability and life and favour of God.
· “Hearer” = one who listens attentatively and receives what is spoken.
· Most people are unaware of what they are saying to themselves and its negative impact – complaining, self-pity, bitter, harsh, putdown.
· You can break negative patterns that ‘corrupt’ your inner world. You can speak God’s Word to yourself and impart grace.
· Isaiah 55:8-9 -“My thoughts are higher than my thoughts”, of Greater Value!
· John 6:63 - “The words I speak to you – they are spirit and life”.
· To change Inner World – do it the same way it was formed = by Words!
3. Changing Your Inner World:
a) Defining “Inner World”:
· Proverbs 23:7 - “As he thinks in his heart, so he is”.
· The Bible refers to your inner world as “the heart” or the “inner man”.
· Your inner man is made up of your soul and spirit.
· Matthew 12:34-35 - “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”.
· Your words are the overflow of what you have stored/treasured in your heart.
· E.g. Beliefs – something accepted as true.
Agreements – something have come into one mind, harmony with.
- get along with our contention.
· Mindsets – Habits of the mind, fixed ways of thinking or attitude.
· Expectations – things you look forward to and anticipate will happen.
· Judgments – things you have formed a decision or verdict about.
· These things can be ungodly/negative and impact the course of your life.
· These things can be shaped – formed, moulded or given new direction.
b) You must Identify the Issues – e.g.:
· A broken relationship to be resolved by forgiveness and blessing.
· A grief – painful experience to be faced.
· Bitter judgment made out of disappointment and hurt.
· Words that you have come into agreement with e.g. names you call yourself.
· Beliefs that you have formed that limit you e.g. “I’m no good at….”
· Mindsets that have formed that prevent growth.
· Key issues of all – living a life without God!
· John 10:10 - “Jesus came to give us life…more abundantly”.
· That life requires we change in the inner man = Choice.
· God imparts His Spirit into our spirit so that we have the power to change.
4. Key Steps to Change Your Inner World:
i) Personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 6:17 - “He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him”.
ii) Identify and resolve the relational issues e.g. broken relationships/grief/ judgment.
- Mark 11:25 -“When you stand praying, forgive”.
iii) Speak out and break agreements with negative words and demonic
spirits.
- Luke 10:19 - “I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions
and all the power of the enemy”.
- Matthew 16:19 - “I will give you keys of the Kingdom of heaven…”.
iv) Search out and embrace what God’s Word says about you.
- Embrace = to clasp another person in the arms in welcome and
affection”.
- Jeremiah 5:16 - “Your words were found and I did eat them and your word was to me joy and rejoicing of my heart”.
v) Declare strongly God’s Word over your life as an affirmation.
- Philemon 6 - Communication of faith is effectual as acknowledge every good thing in you in Christ.
- Romans 4:17 - “Calling those things that be not as though they are”.
- Scriptural affirmations – short – present tense – personal – positive.
vi) Meditate in what God says about you.
- Joshua 1:8 - “You shall meditate in it day and night that your may observe to do….for then you shall make you way prosperous.
- Meditate – turn over and over in the mind – picture it – imagine it.
- What does it look like? What does it feel like?