Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Radio Airdate: November 2004

Good morning, and welcome to Christian Charity. This morning I’d like to talk with you about some things that have been on my mind the last couple weeks. For example, I have been giving a lot of thought lately to Christian behavior, our testimony for Jesus. I don’t mean when you go out and talk to someone specifically about Jesus Christ though. Instead I am talking about the witness shown in your day to day actions and words. Your day by day actions usually have a much greater impact on the non-believer and believer, than all your professions of belief.

Your behavior is observed by your family, your co-workers, strangers that you run into day by day. Do others see Christ in you? Part of the program last week talked about identifying and calling sin sin, without making excuses for it or rationalizing why sinful behavior is acceptable (because it is not).

(1 Thessalonians 4:1) Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

(1 Thessalonians 4:2) For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

(1 Thessalonians 4:3) For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

(1 Thessalonians 4:4) That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

(1 Thessalonians 4:5) Not in the lust of concupiscence(kon-ku¯´pi-sens), even as the Gentiles which know not God:

(1 Thessalonians 4:6) That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

(1 Thessalonians 4:7) For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

(1 Thessalonians 4:8) He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

(1 Thessalonians 4:9) But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

(1 Thessalonians 4:10) And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

(1 Thessalonians 4:11) And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

(1 Thessalonians 4:12) That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. Does your life show holiness or worldliness?


(1 Peter 1:13) Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

(1 Peter 1:14) As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

(1 Peter 1:15) But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

(1 Peter 1:16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Is your conversation holy? Or is it out of control? One of the things I ask God for each morning is to help me control my tongue, to perhaps even pause and think about what I am going to say before I say it.

(James 3:1) My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

(James 3:2) For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

(James 3:3) Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

(James 3:4) Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

(James 3:5) Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

(James 3:6) And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

(James 3:7) For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

(James 3:8) But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

(James 3:9) Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

(James 3:10) Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

(James 3:11) Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

(James 3:12) Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

(James 3:13) Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

(James 3:14) But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

(James 3:15) This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

(James 3:16) For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

(James 3:17) But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

(James 3:18) And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

As James says, the tongue is a hard beast to control – I have certainly found mine out of control at times. Just think of the problems an out of control tongue causes. How many local churches have been broken apart because of unruly tongues? We need to pray for God’s help in controlling our mouths. And note what James said about envying and strife. Coveting brings about envy and jealousy. Envying invariably brings about strife. It is so easy to look around and be jealous of what another man might have. It is so easy to look at another and be jealous that they have perhaps more money, perhaps a better job. It is so easy to look at another and be jealous that everything seems to come so easy to them and so hard for us. And the problem in all these things is not the other person, it is in that you have taken your eyes off Jesus.

(James 1:19) Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

(James 1:20) For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.


Oh Lord, help me to be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. Speaking of wrath, if you are an angry person or a person easily angered, please pray for God to release you from that bondage. It is extremely disconcerting to hear a person speak of God’s love one day and the next day be full of wrath over some perceived slight or injustice. The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God, it works against it. I have seen very few things that do more damage than a tongue that speaks out of anger. Especially anger brought on by pride or envy, or jealousy. When I meet an angry Christian I am always greatly saddened. Very few people will take your testimony seriously if all you do is talk eloquently of Love and Forgiveness on Sunday and then they see you the rest of the week hate-filled and unforgiving. I pray for God to free them from their anger. Have you ever met an unforgiving Christian? At first thought, I would say that it is impossible, that you can’t be both, yet even as I speak this I am reminded that I have at times been unforgiving. Oh God, please help me to be a forgiving Christian, one that does not hold a grudge, one that does not spread gossip or hate. Oh Lord, help me to be a Christian that will ask for forgiveness when I offend and to be quick to give forgiveness.

I think a lot of the anger and envying could be resolved if we could truly embrace the concepts expressed in Matthew 20:25 and Philippians 2:3.

(Matthew 20:25) But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.

(Matthew 20:26) But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

(Matthew 20:27) And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

(Matthew 20:28) Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

And also

(Philippians 2:3) Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

(Philippians 2:4) Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

(Philippians 2:5) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

(Philippians 2:6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

(Philippians 2:7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

(Philippians 2:8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Let me read Philippians 2:3 again

(Philippians 2:3) Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

So much anger and envy stem from sinful pride. But what have we to be proud of? Man’s works without God are nothing. We bear no fruit without Jesus.

(John 15:4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

(John 15:5) I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Pride is vanity. We compare ourselves to our neighbors and if we feel we are doing better in something we feel proud. We compare houses, we compare cars. Ever heard the phrase “keeping up with the Joneses”? We compare jobs, we compare reputations. And for what? So we can feel better about ourselves? Pride and envy are evil sinful things.

We need to keep our perspective and not think higher of ourselves that we are.


We are nothing without Jesus. We’ve all heard the phrase “You can’t take it with you”. Death is the great equalizer. There are things that will survive death, that will come along with you. But it is not your possessions.

(1 Corinthians 3:9) For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

(1 Corinthians 3:10) According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

(1 Corinthians 3:11) For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

(1 Corinthians 3:12) Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

(1 Corinthians 3:13) Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

(1 Corinthians 3:14) If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

(1 Corinthians 3:15) If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

(1 Corinthians 3:16) Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

(1 Corinthians 3:17) If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.


Our work shall be made manifest, not our possessions. In the end we will not be judged on who was the smartest or the richest, or who had the best job or who was the most popular. So why envy for those things – let us get our eyes back on Jesus and His example. Did Jesus build up possessions here on earth? No, of course not. Jesus showed us pure religion didn’t he?

(James 1:27) Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Doing the work of the Father is much more important than gathering possesions.

(Matthew 5:14) Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

(Matthew 5:15) Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

(Matthew 5:16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

I pray that when people look at you, they see the Father. Like the moon has no light of it’s own, but shines only when it relects the light from the sun, We truly only shine when the light of Jesus, the Son shines in us. I pray you reflect His light.

(Proverbs 20:11) Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

My friend, consider today - how are you known?