What of the power of words? They — words — make all the difference in the world. They can make or break a marriage; they determine the quality of the relationship parents have with their children; they can build up or they can tear down. But if OUR words are this powerful, then what of God’s words?

It is true that the blood of our saving PRIEST Jesus saves us from sin and death, but what of His ministry to us as our saving PROPHET? His words — through His preaching, teaching, and praying — also make all the difference in the world for YOUR life. Come and be equipped and blessed through this proclamation of Jesus’ saving ministry to us through His words. Tomorrow, God’s Word will be given to you and His life will overflow into yours!

ALSO: after church we are showing a FANTASTIC documentary on the FAMILY called “Irreplacable”…our families are under attack in the world today and I would like for all of our member families to see this. This is also introducing our upcoming Bible Study called “The Family Project” that starts later this month. Please stay from 11 am to 12 pm for the documentary. Dr. Geisler’s study will be back next Sunday, February 15th.

Here is an excerpt from tomorrow’s sermon:

“Our Savior Who Heals As He Prays and As He Preaches”
(Mark 1:29-39)
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, February 8th, 2015
Pastor Espinosa

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

It is a well known concept that words are very powerful. We tried to protect our fragile childhood psyches by relying on the mantra: “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never harm me.” Wishful thinking. How easy it was for us as children to be completely devastated by something we heard about ourselves…how hard it is now that we’re all grown up to pretend we don’t care, but even now we do and we are effected! Gary Chapman in his book The 5 Love Languages identifies the languages – ways of communicating love – that different people need to know or at least feel that they’re getting love/being loved from those they care about. Chapman has ingeniously identified that some folks are affirmed in believing they are loved through quality time, physical touch, receiving gifts, acts of service, and the fifth one is – personally – my most important one: “words of affirmation”…no one knows this better than my wife Traci. She knows how to lift me up; she knows how to encourage me and how to inspire me. Her words are powerful and as I get older and while her words have always been very influential, as of late in the last several years, her words have become extremely influential. Not long ago when I was a little shaky due to some anxiety coming upon me, she put her hands on my face and looked at me with those tender ocean-blue eyes and said with gentleness and yet with great conviction (as she stared into me): “You’re going to be ok.” Her words seeped into my soul and they were as a medicine to me. I calmed down. Her words helped me and they continue to help me a great deal. Indeed, the words we use will either make a marriage stronger than one can imagine, or words can rip into the fiber of a marriage…it matters what we say and do not say; and how we say it or do not say it! It matters, it matters, it matters!

We underestimate the power of our words and we do not watch the portal of our mouths…and we sin…we cut up people and pull them down closer to destruction. And some people wonder why Jesus associated murder (the violation of the 5th commandment) with words (Matthew 5:21ff.).

And words can most definitely destroy right? The LORD warns us about the potential damage that the human tongue can cause: “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell…It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not be so.” (James 3:5b-6, 8b-10)

Words, words, words…we underestimate their power. Last week was a big one for me. I traveled to serve our Lutheran Church Missouri Synod on the national level and while attending meetings for the Board for National Mission I was also equipped with tools that I am able to bring back to serve our congregation here in Irvine…I received equipping words. During that week I also traveled to see my daughter Esbeydi on one day and then my son David on another…we shared words at both visits that were loving words and words of grace! I received healing words and I extended healing words and by the grace of God, they were seemingly well received. Then there was a meeting with the CTCR (Commission on Theology and Church Relations) on a draft I’ve been working on to serve the church – and esp. her pastors – through the gift of private/individual confession and absolution. The commission gave me affirming words and the work is 95% complete…but the week was also busy, so as I was driving in between all of this, I needed to hear some good words, so I started scanning all the radio stations and I was reminded of how shallow the words in our music can be: words of desperation, lost desire or corrupt desire, conflict, sadness from the idols of the world that people blindly pursue, on and on and on…so I turned off the radio and opened up a hymn…when it was safe – as I drove — I put these words into my mind and they became my words for travel last week: “Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace; Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise. While the hope of endless glory Fills my heart with joy and love, Teach me ever to adore Thee; May I still Thy goodness prove.” (LSB 686 “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing)

Good, good words! Energizing words, words that make all the difference.

But think about this: if your words are powerful (and they are), and if my words are powerful…and if the words that we hear on the radio can influence us…if all words from all people are significant by virtue of the fact that they affect us, how much more impacted are people when God speaks?

We have to be careful because we get accustomed to certain terminology and we start to take it for granted. You all know that when we refer to the Holy Bible, we often say “The Word of God,” or “The Word of The Lord”…this is a true designation, but we mustn’t permit these words to be taken for granted; to be cheapened, because if your words are powerful…how much more powerful is the Word of The Lord? If when you speak, you impact lives, how much more are lives impacted when God speaks? But perhaps part of the problem is that we forget that that is exactly what is happening when the Word of The Lord is proclaimed and shared…God is speaking. GOD is speaking!

When He speaks, He creates. What He says comes to be. “Let there be light” He once said (Genesis 1:3) and there was light. He spoke to dead Lazarus and dead Lazarus was no longer dead (John 11), but restored to life. He spoke at your baptism, and you came to new life. He spoke at your absolution this morning and you were completely restored in the forgiveness of sins…for absolution is not a wish, but a bestowal; God gives you His grace; He bestows His mercy and love upon you (you receive it as new clothing)…it becomes yours…again, no mere wish, no “hoping for the best;” absolutely is God giving and absolutely you are receiving forgiveness over and over again! This is how powerful His Word is! He will speak again for Holy Communion, and these words of God will guarantee the real body and blood of Christ given to you. I have recently spoken to some grieving people and once again it was celebrated that when we receive Christ in the Sacrament we experience a reunion with all the heavenly host…how precious is this gift? How invaluable are these words that bring heaven and earth together in one place; here through the Words of Christ the veil of heaven is lifted and God comes to you…how fantastically invaluable is that?!

In Jesus’ Love,

Rev. Dr. Alfonso O. Espinosa