Say What??

Bethel Mennonite Church – Gladys VA

Steve introduced his sermon with three texts from the KJV that share the same punctuation. All use a colon and parentheses at the end of a phrase… that looks remarkably like a smiley face emoticon!

“We don’t want to be irreverent here, but this brings up a subject I’d like to talk about this morning!”

Punctuation is used to help a reader understand the tone and feeling an author is wanting to convey. Emoticons are existing keyboard symbols that are put together to convey a mood or atmosphere. Emojis are different… they are characters that can be placed in text to make a point.

Why use emoticons and emojis? Some say that they are a shortcut to communication, a lazy way to get a point across. On the other hand, emoticons are a way to communicate emotion that just words struggle to convey.

So we are talking about communication here… hence the sermon title, “Say What??”

A major task for Christians is to communicate God’s word to others—God’s truth! How can we do that effectively and well? People are watching… and we are to be “salt and light.”

Communication matters in relationships; when communication breaks down, there is a problem. In Genesis 11:5, speech was confounded at the Tower of Babel, and folks scattered!

Marriage is a prime example of a place where good communication is needed. Communication involves not just talking but listening and understanding—what is perceived!

Talkative folks and quiet folks alike struggle to communicate well with words. And remember, we communicate nonverbally as well! In fact, we sometimes communicate by the things we don’t say!

A few examples of non-verbal communication are:

• The priest and Levite passing by on the other side of the road in the Good Samaritan story.
• The nine lepers who did not return to thank Jesus after they were healed.
• The sad fact that there was no room at the inn for Mary and Joseph before Jesus’ birth.
• Another example that speaks volumes was the look Jesus gave Peter after his denial and the crowing of the rooster. Not a word was said, but Peter was smitten to the core.

Words and speech are the main means of communication, but let’s remember that listening is also important.

God wants to use our tongues… for His purposes!

So, Say What?? Say this: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”

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