"Speak" 7-6-25

Overview

Speak Out: A Call Rooted in the Gospel

Proverbs 31:8-9 gives us the words a mother taught King Lemuel: "Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy." Whoever Lemuel was—possibly Solomon, possibly an unknown king—the identity matters less than the charge. A mother urges her son to use his voice and position to champion those who cannot contend for themselves: the mute, the destitute (those lacking the basic needs of life), the poor (afflicted and lowly), and the needy (those subject to oppression who require deliverance from outside themselves).

It is tempting to read these verses with ourselves cast as the hero who rides in to rescue. But Scripture will not allow it. Romans 3:19 tells us that the law speaks "so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God." When we try to open our mouths to defend ourselves before God's holiness, we are mute. Romans 3:20 adds that no one will be justified by works of the law. We are the destitute. We are the poor and needy. With Paul we cry, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" Romans 7:24.

The answer is the gospel: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Christ does not stand before the Father merely pleading for one more chance, as if begging mercy for sinners who keep failing. He stands as the Lamb who was slain, scars shown, declaring that the price has already been paid. The wrath our sin deserved was borne on the cross; the tomb is empty; the debt is settled. And in him, Philippians 4:19 promises, "My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

Because Christ has spoken for us, we are now sent to speak for others. Called through the waters of baptism, sustained by Word and Sacrament, we go out as ambassadors—not as saviors, but as messengers. There are sinners around us who are poor, needy, and lost, just as we were. The most freeing, gracious, and loving word we can place on our lips is the word of Jesus Christ: that he has stood before the Father on their behalf, that justice has been satisfied, that every need is met in him. So this week, go forth and speak.

Transcript

If you would please open your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 31, Proverbs 31, if you're using 2s

a Puedition of the Bible, this can be found on page 576 in the Old Testament. 11s

We're in Proverbs 31. 19s

Last week, we heard a beautiful sermon on tact. 22s

How many of you throughout the week have found yourselves mulling over the whole idea of 28s

tact? 36s

How many of you have found yourselves speaking and then, oop, mhm, stopping the mouth because 37s

you're not sure of the tactfulness? 46s

Those were beautiful words of wisdom that we received last week. 50s

Beautiful words. 56s

Remember the saying that was shared, say what you mean, mean what you say, just don't 58s

be mean while you say it? 63s

That's good advice that a mother would give you. 67s

That's really good advice from the words of a parent, the words of a mom. 70s

There's another really good advice that that moms often give which is if you don't have 77s

anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. 84s

And we hear that and we think, well, excellent. 90s

This is wonderful. 93s

We don't have to say anything because what I have to say may not sound nice to the 95s

hearer. 103s

And so I'm going to just keep my mouth shut. 103s

And we think that in matters of faith, in matters of sharing God's word, then we are 107s

off the hook. 114s

Because it might not sound nice to someone else. 115s

We are off the hook. 121s

We get a go on about our day. 122s

Well, let's look. 126s

Let's look here at our reading. 127s

The first thing to understand is that there are a couple of really important words here. 130s

At the beginning of verse 8, it says, speak out. 136s

At the beginning of verse 9, it says, speak out in the English standard version of scripture. 140s

This speak out reads, open your mouth. 149s

Open your mouth. 154s

At the beginning of Proverbs chapter 31, we read in the first verse, the words of King 158s

Limule, an oracle that his mother taught him. 164s

Who is King Limule? 169s

We don't actually know for sure. 171s

There are various ideas of who it might be. 173s

King Limule means devoted to God or for God. 178s

So it could be Solomon. 184s

Limule could be a nickname of sorts for Solomon. 186s

And these would be words taught to him by his mother who would be Bathsheba or King Limule 190s

could be an unknown king. 198s

A king from a part outside of Israel, we don't know exactly who King Limule is, but the 201s

identity of this king is not the point. 209s

The point is the words that his mother taught him. 213s

So let's look at these words. 219s

His mother taught him looking at verse 8, speak out for those who cannot speak. 221s

For the rights of all the destitute. 228s

Speak out judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and the needy. 232s

Looking at this, we hear, speak out for those who cannot speak. 240s

That is literally for those who are mute, who do not have the ability to speak. 245s

And she says, speak out for those who are mute. 253s

Speak out for the rights of all the destitute. 257s

That is the rights, the cause, the plea for the destitute, those who are without basic needs 261s

of life. 269s

She says to her son, be a voice for these people, those who have no voice, those who have 271s

lack of the basic needs of life. 282s

Speak out, she says, judge righteously, judge righteously, govern vindicate be ethical. 287s

For those who are needing it, defend the rights of the poor and the needy the poor being afflicted, 296s

wretched, lowly, the needy being those who are subject to oppression and abuse those who need deliverance 304s

from outside of themselves. 315s

These words are words from a mother to her son, telling him to champion the cause for those who lack the power to contend for themselves. 319s

She says to him, do what you can do through what you have and who you are to be and speak for those who are not. 336s

Those who cannot speak for themselves. 347s

All of Scripture, all of Scripture is God breathed. 354s

That means that every part of Scripture tells us something about God, it tells us something about 361s

ourselves. 372s

When you hear those verses, when you hear verses eight and nine, are you tempted to read with yourself as the hero? 375s

Are you tempted to read those verses with yourself being the champion of the destitute, the champion of those who need? 388s

Are you tempted to read yourself as the one who comes in to save the day to rescue the one who is lacking? 401s

Speak out for those who cannot speak for the rights of all the destitute, speak out judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and the needy. 414s

Speak out for those who cannot speak literally the mute. 429s

In Romans chapter 3 verse 19, it says, now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced. 436s

And the whole world may be held accountable to God. 450s

You see, as we come before the Lord, as we attempt to open our mouths, we realize that our mouths are shut. 454s

Because when we open our mouths, attempting to defend ourselves according to holiness and righteousness, according to God's law, 469s

we cannot speak. 479s

We are mute, our mouths are silenced. 486s

Speak out for those who cannot speak for the rights of all the destitute, for the plea of those without basic needs of life. 493s

We in and of ourselves have absolutely nothing. 505s

We don't control anything in our lives. 512s

In due to ronomy, it says, everything belongs to the Lord, your God. 518s

Some 50 speaks where the Lord says that everything is His, even the cows on a thousand and one hills, that nothing is needed by Him, but that we need everything. 523s

We cannot provide the air that we breathe for ourselves. 541s

We cannot provide for the blood flowing through our veins. 547s

We cannot provide for anything. 553s

We have nothing. 561s

Speak out. 566s

Judge righteously. 569s

Judge righteously. 572s

Seek out that justice. 575s

And yet Romans chapter three verse 20 says, no human being will be justified in His sight by deeds prescribed by the law, 578s

for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. 589s

We can't judge ourselves righteous according to God's law. 596s

According to God's law, we are unholy, we are unrighteous. 600s

We are nothing. 608s

We are not justified. 611s

But we become aware of our poor, wretched state of existence. 615s

Speak out. 624s

Judge righteously defend the rights of the poor and the needy. 625s

Those who are afflicted wretched, lowly, those who are subject to oppression and abuse, 629s

needing outside deliverance. 635s

Romans chapter seven verse 24, Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, writes, 639s

wretched man that I am who will rescue me from this body of death. 647s

In our sin, in our awareness of our sin, we know there is no one more wretched, 656s

more lowly, more in need of deliverance. 665s

You see, when we read these verses, verses eight, nine, speak out on those who cannot speak for the rights of all the destitute. 673s

Speak out judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and the needy. 684s

We realize. 688s

We are those people. 693s

We are not the champion to come in, to rescue, to save, to give, to be the one who is the source of goodness and justice. 698s

When we read those verses, we realize that we are the destitute. 717s

We are the poor, the needy, the one who needs a champion to contend for us, to do for us, 726s

what we cannot do for ourselves. 741s

Wretched man that I am who will rescue me from this body of death. 747s

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 753s

It is God Himself in the second person of the Trinity Jesus Christ who comes in and restes us, 760s

who speaks out and delivers us, who judges us and executes righteousness for us. 768s

There is an amazing sermon that Timothy Keller, a Presbyterian pastor who has since gone on to be in the presence of Jesus that he had, 779s

where he spoke and he preached of justice and he said that in his previous time when he would hear that Jesus was before the Father pleading the case. 788s

Our case before the Father he said he took no comfort in that. 801s

He said he took no comfort in that because he envisioned Jesus coming before the Father and saying, 806s

please have mercy, please have mercy on this sinner. 812s

Well we know that when someone begs with us and pleads with us eventually it just gets annoying. 819s

And we don't want to hear it. 826s

And when we give chance after chance after chance we just don't want to give any more chances. 829s

Because we know that someone's going to mess up and come back asking for another chance. 834s

And so Timothy Keller would envision Jesus asking God the Father, please give him another chance. 846s

Please give him another chance. 851s

Please give him another chance and the Father finally saying, forget it. 852s

I'm done. 857s

And so Timothy Keller took no comfort knowing that Jesus was pleading before the Father. 860s

Speak out for those who cannot speak for the rights of all the destitute, speak out judge righteously, 872s

defend the rights of the poor and the needy. 879s

You see Jesus does not go before the Father begging for mercy, begging for the Father to forgive us, 881s

but Jesus Christ comes before the Father. 890s

Stands before the Father as the Lamb who was slain. 893s

Jesus Christ when he hung on that cross. 899s

He bore the punishment for our sins. 903s

The eternally just God says that there is punishment to be had for sin. 909s

And Jesus Christ entered into creation. 918s

He bore the punishment, the wrath of God for your sin for my sin upon himself. 921s

And he ascended to the Father, the tomb is empty. 929s

We know he ascended. 933s

And he doesn't stand before the Father pleading, given one more chance. 935s

Give her one more chance, but he stands before the Father. 942s

Scars shown. 948s

And he says, justice has been paid. 953s

The price has been paid. 959s

It's not a matter of seeking a second chance, a third chance, a fourth chance. 967s

The price for your sin has already been paid. 976s

Jesus is not pleading for mercy. 981s

Jesus is showing the Father that the price has already been paid. 986s

That the debt has already been counted for. 994s

And the Father will not seek out payment. 1000s

Because the payment has already been made on your behalf by Jesus Christ. 1005s

Speak out for those who cannot speak. 1016s

For the rights of all the destitute speak out. 1019s

Judge righteously defend the rights of the poor and the needy for the cause of those who do not have. 1022s

Basic needs of life. 1034s

Infelipians the fourth chapter. 1038s

Paul says, my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. 1042s

Every need for your life. 1056s

Every need of mercy. 1060s

Every need for forgiveness. 1064s

Every need for grace for love. 1067s

Every need is fully satisfied. 1070s

For you in Christ Jesus. 1074s

We're told to speak out. 1087s

We're told to speak out. 1092s

Are there other sinners that we know in our lives? 1097s

Are there other sinners who are poor and needy? 1103s

Destitute lost. 1108s

We are called to speak out. 1114s

Not that we can come in and rescue and save the day. 1115s

But we are called to speak out as ambassadors as missionaries. 1120s

Sharing the good news that it is Christ who stands before the Father. 1127s

That it is Christ who has paid the sin debt. 1133s

That it is Christ who has come to deliver us, to justify us, and to bring true justice into our lives. 1138s

My brothers and sisters we have been called through the waters of baptism into lives of faith. 1154s

We have been called through God's gracious spirit to know that we are indeed forgiven. 1162s

We are sustained week after week by His word, by His body and blood given through the bread and the wine. 1172s

And we are sent forth. 1179s

We are sent forth with the word of forgiveness, with the word of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 1181s

We are sent out not to close our mouths. 1190s

But we are sent out to speak out for those who cannot speak. 1198s

We are sent out to speak out for the rights of all the destitute. 1205s

We are sent out to speak out to judge righteously. 1210s

Sent out to speak out defending the rights of the poor and the needer needy. 1216s

There is no better word to speak out than the word of Jesus Christ. 1226s

There is no better word to speak out, no better word that is more freeing, 1234s

more loving, more gracious than the word that we have been given. 1242s

So as you go forth this week, go forth and speak. 1252s

Thank you. 1271s