Words Are Your Servants: Speaking the Language of the Kingdom

Sermon outline

Faith-filled words are the language of the kingdom: they shield you, serve you and plant the seed of your harvest, so say what God says and keep saying it when the fire gets hotter.

1. Meditate on the Word day and night

   God promised Joshua good success if the Word did not depart from his mouth. To meditate is to dwell on, think on, mutter and speak to yourself, so speak the Word under your breath at work and at home until it becomes part of your DNA and comes out automatically under pressure. God never leaves you, so when the fire is seven times hotter, sing and dance: the battle is most intense when you are on the brink of your miracle.

   Illustration: Driving on the highway that day he was speaking aloud to himself, and when other drivers stared he decided they would think he was on a hands-free phone, so he spoke even louder.

   “Apart from the Word of God, you will not get success.”

   • Joshua 1:8-9
   • 2 Timothy 1:7
   • 2 Corinthians 5:7
   • Psalm 27:1
   • 1 John 4:4
   • Ephesians 5:19
   • Proverbs 24:16
   • 1 Timothy 6:12

2. Whose job is it to make you successful?

   God made a path of success for Joshua, but He put the onus on Joshua to meditate and speak the Word. In the same way it is not your family, employer or neighbour who will make you successful but you, speaking the Word at home and at work and prophesying your own promotion.

   “So the onus was then on Joshua to make himself successful.”

   • Joshua 1:8

3. Faith-filled words create your shield

   The shield of faith in God's armour is created by the words you speak, forming a canopy that stops what the devil throws at you. Negative words make you a negative force field that repels blessing; faith words radiate a positive charge that attracts it. Don't say what you have, say what you want to have, because you have today what you said yesterday; frame your world with your words.

   Illustration: As a young policeman he and three friends wrote the exams for lieutenant. Thinking it humble, he kept telling them he did not want promotion, though inwardly he did; the others were promoted and he waited two more years, until the Lord told him 'your words killed you'. Years later, when a preacher asked people to picture where they wanted to be, he saw himself in his boss's chair, and three months later he was promoted.

   “You have today what you said yesterday.”

   • Ephesians 6:10-16
   • Hebrews 11:3

4. Words are your servants

   Words fill the clouds until the rain falls, or shut up the heavens. When people try a principle like tithing and then say 'it did not work', they dig up their seed; keep speaking faith until the clouds are full. Like the servant in Jesus' parable who comes in from the field and still serves his master, your words serve you, and when they bring you a victory you send them out again rather than letting them rest. You don't beg a waiter or a demon; you speak.

   Illustration: A waiter in a restaurant serves what you order. He calls a man up and people fall at a word to show the power of words. Naaman had to go to the prophet and obey before he was healed.

   “Your words are like servants. They will serve you if you'll only command.”

   • Ecclesiastes 11:3
   • Malachi 3:11
   • Ecclesiastes 11:1
   • Luke 17:7-10
   • 2 Kings 5:9-14
   • John 21:15-17

5. Your words are spirit and life: three great secrets of faith

   The words Jesus spoke are spirit and life, and every word of faith from a born-again mouth carries the Spirit of God, so you can call promotion, provision and souls. His three secrets: faith works like a seed; you must plant it to get its benefit; and you plant faith by speaking it.

   Illustration: He tells of a friend he had long been witnessing to, whose insurance claim was refused; they faxed a letter he had laid hands on, the company reversed its decision three days later, and the man came to church with his family and they gave their hearts to the Lord.

   “Every word spoken, a word of faith spoken in your mouth is a receptacle and a carrier of the Spirit of God.”

   • John 6:63

6. The Holy Ghost authored the Bible, so agree with it

   Holy men of God spoke as they were borne along by the Holy Ghost, so He is the author of Scripture, and speaking against the Word is close to speaking against the Holy Ghost. That is why he teaches prosperity: God brought Israel out with silver and gold, Abraham, Jacob and Solomon were rich, and the gospel to the poor man is that he need not stay poor. God looks for worthy, profitable people, and there is no law against thinking big.

   Illustration: He grew up so poor that he did not want to go to church after he was saved, because he had no nice clothes; reading the Bible for himself changed his thinking.

   “Incidentally, there's no law against thinking big.”

   • 2 Peter 1:19-21
   • Matthew 12:32
   • Exodus 12:35-36
   • Genesis 13:2
   • Matthew 10:11
   • Matthew 25:26-30
   • Luke 4:18
   • Proverbs 23:7

7. Can two walk together except they agree?

   Walking with God means saying what He says: you are healed, provided for and able to lay hands on the sick. If the doctor gives a report, receive it, then go home and speak by His stripes you are healed; people dislike the word of faith because it puts pressure on them to act on what they believe. The recording ends as he contrasts the ten spies with Joshua and Caleb.

   Illustration: He walks across the platform in step with a man to show walking in agreement with God, then out of step to show what happens when you say something God isn't saying.

   “Say from today, I'm well able.”

   • Amos 3:3
   • Luke 10:19
   • Mark 16:18
   • 1 Peter 2:24
   • Isaiah 53:1
   • Numbers 13:30-33