Using tactful speech
1. I have always been a little curious about Acts 6:3.
2. 7 men were selected to help certain women get enough to eat.
3. The task these men did is described as “business.”
THIS PAST WEEK I TOOK A LOOK AT THE WORD
RENDERED “BUSINESS.”
A. I found this is the same term that John used in 1 Jn. 3:17.
B. John spoke of someone who “has worldly goods.”
C. The person has both material assets and fellowship with God’s people.
D. In the type of situation described by John, some of saints were needy.
E. The word need in 1 Jn. 3:17 is the same word translated business in Acts 6:3.
2. The two terms are identical, so in Acts 6:3 the word could be rendered “need.”
3. I like the English word business because it is more tactful than need.
4. Instead of describing the needy Christians as poor and destitute,
5. The poor women were referred to as “church business.”
6. When we think about applying Acts 6:3, here is the first point.
A. As Christians we want to do our best to be tactful.
B. Col. 4:6 speaks of speech that contains “grace.”
C. Paul described our as being like seasoning salt.
D. Eph. 4:29 adds that our speech should “edify” those who hear it.
E. Jas. 1:26 goes so far as to speak of a “bridled tongue.”
7. If we hear people speak for 5 minutes, we usually draw some conclusions about them.
A. We draw conclusions about a person’s intellect and perhaps level of education.
B. We might make judgments about a person’s restraint or the lack thereof.
C. A person’s speech can also point to or away from religious inclinations.
8. Jesus once said that people could be known by their fruits (Mt. 7:16, 20).
9. His point was related to false teachers.
10. In broader terms, what He said applies to a person’s speech.
11. A Christian is supposed to talk in a way that is different from the world.
12. Part of this communication involves the avoidance of foul language.
13. Another aspect to Christian speech is tact.
A. Tact is as simple as applying the golden rule.
B. Before we say something to someone, imagine if the same were said to us.
C. Would we want someone to tell us what we plan to say to someone?
D. Would we want someone us to tell us something in the same way we plan to talk to another person?
E. What about the timing of the event?
EVERY SINGLE TIME WE SEE THE WORD “BUSINESS” IN ACTS 6:3 WE CAN REMIND OURSELVES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TACTFUL SPEECH.
A.
For the
Christian, this is a continuing challenge.
B.
There
are going to be times when each one of us fails in this area.
C.
Yet, we
can try to do better and better in this area.
D.
We have a
permanent example of this in Acts 6.
E. In this verse business is a nice word for destitution, poverty, and public (church) assistance.
F. This word translated “business” (need) is used elsewhere in the scriptures.
2. One of these places is 1 Cor. 12:24.
3. This verse is probably the best verse in the entire Bible concerning modesty.
4. It is in this chapter that Paul spoke about covering the body with clothing.
5. This analogy was used to explain the spiritual gifts which were used by the first century church.
6. There are some hard passages in 1 Cor. 12, but this chapter is worth our efforts to understand it.
A. I can best explain the point by using the illustration in the text.
B. Paul asked his readers to think about the human body.
C. Our body has all kinds of parts.
D. 1 Cor. 12 says that each body part falls into one of two categories: comely or uncomely.
7. Let’s look at verse 24 – READ.
8. The body parts which are “comely” which have “no need.”
9. In simple terms, Paul said that are certain body parts that do not normally require clothing.
A. Of the people who are present this evening, who is wearing ear muffs? No one.
B. None of us have on heavy gloves.
C. Certain body parts “have no need” of clothing.
10. This is true of some body parts, but it is not true of every body part.
11. Notice verse 23 – READ.
12. There are “less honorable parts of the body.”
A. This means there are parts of the body God did not design for public display.
B. These private parts are described as “uncomely.”
C. God does not want certain parts of the body exposed for everyone to see.
D. The private parts described in this verse are to “receive more abundant honor.”
E. This is a way of describing clothing (a covering).
13. These two verses
show that certain parts need covering while other parts do not.
If you want an interesting and powerful point from the Bible about
modesty, consider this.
A. In Acts 6:3 there was a “need.”
B. How strong was the need described by Luke?
C. It was the kind of need that arises when someone get hungry.
D. It is the feeling the body has for food when no nourishment is available.
14. I believe everyone in this room would say a hungry belly is a strong need.
15. When people get hungry enough some will steal food. Others will kill for it.
16. Hunger is one of the strongest needs we have.
17. The word need in Acts 6:3 is also used in 1 Cor. 12.
18. Paul used this same word to describe our need for clothing.
A. He said some body parts have no need (same word) for clothing (verse 24).
B. God doesn’t believe we need earmuffs when it is 100 degrees outside.
C. He does, however, say the “less honorable” parts of the body must be clothed.
19. The “uncomely” body parts refer to sexual organs and the organs of elimination.
20. 1 Cor. 12 teaches us that these parts are to be covered.
21. This is a good reminder as we enter into summer.
22. Covering “uncomely” body parts is God’s will, and this covering does not mean barely covered.
23. A skimpy layer of fabric is a skimpy layer of fabric; it is not a covering.
24. Items that are see-through or cut too low do not cover the parts that God wants covered.
25. The parts described by Paul need to be shielded from public view.
26. The need to fill a hungry body (Acts 6:3) is on the same level as modesty (1 Cor. 12).
THERE ARE A LOT OF PE0PLE WHO WILL NEVER BELIEVE THIS, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE WORDS USED BY GOD THROUGH INSPIRED WRITERS, THIS IS WHAT WE LEARN.
A. This is the way that Christians need to live their lives because this is what the scriptures say.
B. This information applies to both men and women.
C. We have a need for the right kind of talk and the right kind of dress.
2. These are only two of the places where this term occurs.
3. As I looked at the 50 or so other passages where this word is found, I decided to make only 1 other point.
4. This point is based upon Lk. 15:7.
5. I chose this verse because it relates to the two previous points.
A. Imagine a Christian who is trying to abide by the two items previously described.
B. This person is trying to communicate in a way that pleases God.
C. He/she sees the need for modesty and does well in this area of life.
D. In fact, in nearly every area of life this person is trying to please God.
6. I know some people who try to live in this way but they still feel the need to repent.
7. Whether they did anything evil during a day or not, they confess and repent of wrongs.
8. I am not faulting the person who has a tender heart.
9. We need to be mindful of things of willful sin as well as sins of omission.
10. Let’s also not overlook what Jesus said in Lk. 15:7.
A. This may be a new thought for some of us.
B. To get the full force of the point I want to start with verse 1 and read through verse 7 – READ.
11. This story is familiar.
12. Attention is often concentrated on the one lost sheep.
13. It was lost, then found, and there was great rejoicing.
14. Less attention is generally paid to the 99 sheep who stayed in the pen.
A. Notice how Jesus describes the people who did not stray.
B. He spoke of them as being “righteous.”
C. Not only are these people righteous, they “need” (same word) “no repentance.”
15. I would like to survey every member of the church that is now living.
16. My survey would ask this question:
17. How many days can you remember when you did not repent?
18. If we are living and growing as a Christian, there are going to be some days we do not sin.
19. We are weak, we are fallible, and we continue to fall short of God’s glory.
20. It is possible to have some days where we do not commit a single sin.
21. Jesus spoke of “99” people who were righteous and did not need to repent.
A. I do not want to undermine the good heart who is sensitive to sin.
B. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus spoke about having a tender conscience.
C. Those who “mourn” are those who recognize and are hurt by their personal sin.
D. A Christian can forget to do things or not do things and sin by omission.
E. When these times occur we need to acknowledge them.
22. There is another side to the Christian life that we don’t want to overlook.
23. It is possible to be “righteous” in God’s sight and have periods when we do not need to repent.
24. We can actually lessen the effect of confession and repentance if it is little more than a habit.
25. When we deal with repentance and confession of sin in our lives, we should think about Acts 6:3.
26. There were women who had a true need; they had empty stomachs.
27. Do we have a real need to confess sin to God before we go to Him in prayer?
28. Do we have a need to
repent before we talk to God?
Let’s make sure our needs in these area are real and not simply a matter
of habit.
A. As a final thought we can look at the 100 sheep in Lk. 15.
B. Each sheep needed to be in the owner’s pen.
C. A similar thing is true in the spiritual realm.
D. God has His own flock. This is where we need to be.
E. We need to be with the sheep because the other alternative is to be with the goats.