Col 4:6
The Bible tells us about paying attention to how we speak. Indeed, this is a key part of our Christian spiritual nurture. If we look at ourselves in the mirror and record the things we say, or maybe just video ourselves, what will we think about ourselves when we look at our countenance/face as we speak and listen to the content/tone when we speak. What impression would we give ourselves?

We don’t have many opportunities to have that played back to us. But as a Christian, it’s important in our daily lives, prayers and reflections to always look at ourselves. One of the areas surely, is our speech.

The Bible here tells us that we should let our speech to always be with grace. It should be seasoned with salt. We must know how we ought to answer each one.

1. Are the words we speak gracious?
2. Are our words seasoned with salt?
   When the speaker thinks about salt, he thinks about flavour. When people listen to us, are the words we say flavourful or is it tasteless or does it leave a bad taste in people’s mouths?
3. Do we know how we ought to answer EACH one?
   Sometimes we’re like a one trick pony. We only know how to speak in one way; to say in one kind of thing. “That’s me what. You like you listen. You don’t like you don’t listen.”
   Is that what a Christian ought to be?

Don’t get the speaker wrong. The truth cannot be changed. There’s only one version. We cannot compromise on the truth. We shouldn’t twist and turn accordingly like the Chinese saying: 见人说人话，见鬼说鬼话

But here the Bible tells us we ought to answer EACH one. When we speak, we ought to treat the listener as individuals. It may be difficult in a congregation like this. But oftentimes when we speak to people one on one, we speak in the same tone, attitude, as if there’s no difference. We’re always so hard. Or maybe we’re always so soft. Our content is always so…grilling. Every single time someone talks to us, they feel they’re being grilled by us. “Sorry lah I’m a public prosecutor.” “Sorry lah I’m a police man.” “Sorry lah I’m a lecturer.” “That’s the only way I know how to talk.”

None of these in itself is wrong. But the speaker thinks that as we improve ourselves as a Christian, we need to relook and rethink. Do we always need to talk like that? Sometimes our content may be right. But precisely because of the WAY we talk, it’s ineffective.

Some people say, “People often don’t remember what you say. But they remember how you made them feel.” The speaker qualifies this isn’t gospel truth so don’t apply it to all times. But he feels it has worthwhile elements of truth to reflect on. When he thought about that phrase, it made him reflect on how he should say things so that what he says can really get into and change the heart of a person. This phrase isn’t absolute truth because oftentimes people remember exactly what you said because of how you made them feel.

Sometimes some people like you not because they remember what you said but because you made them feel good.

Again, we cannot compromise on the truth. The truth can hurt but it has to be said. Jesus Himself made hard sayings. So much so that apart from the 12, many disciples departed. Sometimes it’s necessary. But let us be very clear. Sometimes we swing to the other extreme. We only read THAT passage of Jesus saying hard sayings and say that’s the only way He’s spoken.

That’s the only way we should speak?

We read that Jesus overturned tables in the synagogue. We read of Jesus giving hard sayings. But have we looked at the other side of Him? It’s not always like that.

Luke 4:22
They all bore witness to Him and were amazed at the GRACIOUS words that came from his lips. We’re all well aware of the rebuke Jesus made to the Pharisees, “Hypocrites!” But it wasn’t always how He spoke. Jesus spoke the truth all the time. But the way it came across was the perception of people. The people marvelled at the gracious words that proceeded from his lips. It’s important for us to reflect how we answer each one. Under what circumstances? To whom? What’s the context behind? What’s the spiritual state of this person? Then we answer, not twisting the truth. Speaking the truth but thinking how our words can be rephrased.

Matt 9:22
A woman had a flow of blood for 12 years. She squeezed herself in the crowd to get near enough to Jesus to touch His garment. When that happened, her illness was healed. And then what happened? Jesus turned around and said, “Be of good cheer your faith has made you well.”

When Jesus turned around, it seems scary. He sensed some power had left Him. “So scary ah. Someone stole some power. Why didn’t you tell Me first? Never ask for permission?” None of that. He said, “Be of good cheer your faith has made you well.”
Jesus spoke like this too. The phrase “your faith has made you well” was quite common in the Bible. The speaker thinks it’s a very good phrase Jesus used repeatedly. It really encourages the people who came all the way to seek help from Him.

Luke 7:50
A sinner came and anointed Jesus. Again Jesus said, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” She has already realised the state she was in. That’s why she came to Jesus. There was no need to humiliate her in public. There was no need to grill. He knew she came and repented. What more?

John 8:11
A woman was brought before Jesus by her accusers. Jesus said, “If anyone has no sin, take up the first stone and throw at her.” One by one they left. Jesus raised Himself from stooping, saw her and said, “Woman where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” “No one.” “Neither do I condemn you. Go. Sin no more.” So it’s not that the sin was condoned or sin wasn’t a problem. Neither does the speaker mean under no circumstances should we point out the sins of people. It is necessary. Especially when people don’t get the point and are unrepentant. Sometimes a hard knock is needed to wake a person up. This sermon isn’t about one or the other. The speaker is not saying under no circumstances can we use a hard knock. Neither is he saying under all circumstances should we be softy softy and have bleeding hearts. He means that as Christians, we have to be very clear what our objective is. It is to save people. It’s to turn people around to the right path. It’s to glorify God and edify Man. It’s to uplift the truth. But in so doing, remember there’s always different ways of doing it. It’s not just one way.

Over here, this woman was a terrible sinner. That’s a fact. Under the laws of the Old Testament, she should be stoned to death. But in Jesus’ kind of way of handling this, now that she’s come to know the truth, He condemned her no more. He also knew the hearts of the accusers. Their hearts weren’t really so righteous. They meant to trap Jesus. It wasn’t with any noble purpose, there was no grace in their hearts. So this was how Jesus handled it, “Go and sin no more.” This probably planted the truth much deeper in the heart of the woman than if she had been grilled and further humiliated.

John 21:11-12
This incident was after the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus had already appeared to His disciples.
v3-5 Peter sought to go fishing. The other disciples followed him too. They caught nothing. The next morning Jesus stood on the shore. The first thing He said to them was, “Children, have you any food?” This was important. They were hungry and probably cold. Morale really low. The first thing Jesus said tugged at their hearts.

“Come and have breakfast.”
How is this relevant to the noble commission of preaching the gospel to the entire world, defeating Satan, etc.? That was what Jesus called them for right? To go into all the world to make disciples of all nations; to establish the church. That was their mission. But what was the state of their mind at that time. Confused. They saw their Lord and Master crucified. Demoralised. Lost. Fearful. They dispersed. Now that Jesus was raised from the dead and appeared to them. Supposed to chiong and preach the gospel to the whole world. “Still got time to fish ah? You’re supposed to be preaching! You never hear Me say or you got no brains to think. I die on the cross and appear to you what else do you want?”

Some of us would speak like that. If we take this and apply it to incidents in our lives. Our lack of patience, sitting on our moral high ground, thinking why people should know but don’t know, should do but don’t do. Factually, it’s all right.

The disciples indeed saw the resurrected Christ and witnessed many teachings, they should go out preaching. They performed miracles themselves too. But at this point, they were at a state of weakness, confusion and fear. Facts were all there. But how did Jesus reach out to them? Could Jesus have rebuked them? He could. He had every right. But life isn’t always about exercising our rights. If the objective is to touch their hearts, to inspire them again; to get back on their journey, there’re other ways.

What did Jesus do? “Children, do you have any food?” It tugged at their hearts and stomachs. It was powerful because they had caught nothing. Then Jesus told them to cast their nets to the right side and caught a lot of fish. John realised it was the Lord. When Peter heard it, he couldn’t take it anymore and plunged into the sea. What Jesus did was so powerful.

“Peter, what’re you doing?! Why’re you still there? Why’re you back to your nets?”
If Jesus had said this, maybe Peter might’ve been jolted by fear.

But look at how He did it. “Children have you any food?” “Cast your nets on the right side.” This way triggered how Jesus first reached out to him at first. At the beginning he had toiled all night and Jesus reached out to him. It showed the meaninglessness of life without Christ. Without Christ, you think you can toil all night? Without Christ, your net is empty. There’s no meaning. Peter came to this important understanding. He plunged into the water. Last time he just left his nets this time he plunged into the water.

The later conversation when Jesus asks Peter thrice if he loved Him. This caused Peter to be grieved. No big lecture. No big grilling. Peter knew. But now Jesus wants to draw it out from him. After this incident, Peter never turned back again. We see no rebuke. We see no hard sayings or harsh words.

Do you love Me? Children do you have any food? Cast your net on the right and you’ll have some. Come and have breakfast.

This turned Peter around. It made him jump off the boat, not just leave his nets.

This is how the message hasn’t changed: the meaninglessness of life without Christ and the mission they had been called to, the purpose of being fishers of men not fishermen. Breakfast was made for them. If they sought their own methods and thought themselves great, they would catch nothing.

Why did we think we’re so successful? The depiction of life is in the end empty. Plunge and fulfil our purpose. We’ll be filled in the end.

Same message but different way of delivering that gets into the hearts of people. Something for us to ponder on.

Conclusion
Luke 6:45
A good man out of the good pleasure of his heart brings forth good. An evil man out of the evil of his heart brings forth evil. “For out of the abundance of his heart the mouth speaks.”

As a Christian, it’s very important to examine constantly what we retain in our hearts. If our hearts are full of the grace of God we want to impart to others, from that our mouth will speak. If our hearts are full of the justice of God, what will come out of our mouths will be just. If out of our hearts is pride that we’re better and more righteous than others, likewise our mouth will speak. If in our hearts retains any bitterness that we have, for whatever reason, we’re like keyboard warriors that criticise everything the government is doing. In the recent New Zealand shooting, PM Lee posted a message posting his condolences and condemning the act. Many people did likewise. But many people were suanning PM Lee. When you read their comments, you just think they have no heart. You can dislike PM Lee or PAP, but don’t be so low and cheap to seize every opportunity to just criticise. Even when he said something good and gracious, you have to criticise. Anger and bitterness can be seen from their words. The speaker hopes none of us are like that. We can be angry and criticise anything and everything, vent. But it doesn’t help the situation.

Out of the abundance of our hearts, our mouth speaks. Let us be conscious as Christians to examine what’s in our hearts. Is it the love of God? Is it the grace of Christ? Is it anger? Is It bitterness? Is it jealousy? This will eat into us. Record the things we say if we can and look at ourselves in the mirror when we speak. Not literally lol, just reflect.

Eph 4:29
Consider whether it’s good and necessary for edification and whether it’ll impact grace to the hearers. If that is the objective in our hearts, then we will probably really think what to say, when to say, how to speak.

Does our speech impart grace? May God help us.