Sidney UMC - World Communion Sunday/Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 10/03/21 - Sermon - “Faith Like That!”

Sunday 10/03/21 - Sidney UMC 

Sermon Title:         “Faith Like That!”                     

Old Testament Scripture: Job 1:1; 2:1-10                                    

New Testament Scripture: Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12

Gospel Lesson: Mark 10:2-16

          So, I have a question for all of us to think about. This is the question, has anyone here ever lost your faith, or does anyone here know someone else who has lost their faith? By this, did you ever stop believing in Jesus, in heaven, and in the existence of God himself. Or do you know anyone else who ever stopped believing in Jesus, in heaven, and it the existence of God himself? I certainly know people that claim to have had faith, who now openly say that they have none.

          Some people that I have meet simply sat down, read, thought, and decided that faith just was no longer for them. Most often however, I have encountered people who have experienced great sufferings, trials, and or misfortunes. Since these people could not reconcile these great sufferings, trials, and or misfortunes with God, they decided that God did not exist, that Jesus was not Lord, and the Holy Spirit did not move among us. They had an idea of who God is, of who Jesus is, and of who the Holy Spirit is. When they felt that God did not hold up his end of the “bargain” they abandoned their faith. Many of them would say since “God abandoned them, they abandoned God.”

          Given this, friends, brothers, and sisters, what would have to happen for us to abandon our faith completely and utterly? A health problem? The death of a loved one? Our house burning down? We lose our job? We go bankrupt? Our car breaks? Our health is in jeopardy? We become a Mets fan? What would need to happen for us to abandon our faith completely and utterly?

          I truly think that this question is very important, as I think having a Biblical understanding of God is important. Is the God we believe in expected to always give us fame and fortune? Is belief in God, is serving Christ, and is calling upon the power of the Holy Spirit, a ticket to earthly wealth and material contentment? Is faith all about living a life here on earth with no struggles, no trials, no hurts, and no misfortunes?

          It would seem friends that some people have learned a “version” of Christianity, which is not biblical, that states our faith means that we will have nothing but comfort, material wealth, and never suffer here on earth. It is a nice thought and boy does it sell, especially on TV! The only problem though, is that it is not true. Jesus came to earth, to live, breath, teach, love, heal, forgive, and to die for our sins so that we can be reconciled to a loving and a just God. We are broken and sinful by nature. We are incapable of living perfect and flawless lives, even though we are moving on to perfection. As a result of all of this, God sent his only son who was and is perfect and flawless to die for all of us who are flawed and broken. God sent his son Jesus to spiritually restore us and to reconcile us with God.

          Through this “New Covenant” that we will celebrate, in part, through Holy Communion this morning, through this reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ, we are offered eternity with Christ, and the amazing promise that Christ will never leave us or forsake us. Do want to live a life where we never struggle or suffer? Well of course, who would not, but Christ came so that we may be forgiven, and so that we may journey with him to become like him. Romans 8:38-39 says:

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:38-39, NRSV).

          Do we believe this? Do we believe this no matter what? Or do we lose this belief if things get back enough?

          This is one of the questions that is answered in the Old Testament Book of Job. Job is a wealthy landowner, with many herds of animals. Job is Godly, upright, and blameless. He has a good family and good life. Job is completely dedicated to God, and to serving God. How much suffering, misfortune, and calamity would it take though for Job to lose his faith though? If it gets bad enough, would Job just forsake God and turn away from his love?

          To some extent this is what the Book of Job discusses. In looking at our reading for this morning from the Book of Job once again, we start with 1:1, and then move right to 2:1. Once again it says in 1:1:

1 There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil       (Job 1:1, NRSV).

          So, we hear these wonderful things about Job in the Old Testament. Then beginning in 2:1 it says once again:

2 One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. ² The Lord said to Satan,  “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” ³ The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason”                       (Job 2:2-3, NRSV). 

 

          The angels of the Lord come to God, and Satan, a fallen angel shows up to. It is clear to God that Satan, as usual, is up to no good. The devil wants to corrupt, destroy, and tear people down. God says to Satan though, you will not turn or break Job. His faith is too strong. God tells Satan that he can test him and harm him, as long as he does not kill him. God tells Satan that Job will remain faithful.

          In response, the scripture picks up in Job 2:4 saying once again?

⁴ Then Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives.  ⁵ But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life” (Job 2:4-5, NRSV).

          The devil tells God that everyone, even Job will cave and lose their faith when it comes down to it. Some people of faith struggle that God would allow Satan to cause harm to Job, but Job was a man of God. Job committed and covenanted to God to serve and love him, no matter what. It is pretty similar to marriage vows. You know the ones that say:

“Will you love them, comfort them, honor and keep them, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?” (UMW BOW).

          Generally wedding days are happy days. There is excitement, love, and a fun reception. Oh, and cake! What if one the two people getting married though change, get sick, and or violate the vows of their marriage? If things get hard enough in a marriage, is it fair for a person to just leave? Do not get me wrong, I do not mean leave for the wrong reasons. A biblical divorce is where one or both of the married people have broken their marriage covenant/vows. If this cannot be reconciled, then sometimes the result is divorce. Both of my parents have been divorced and remarried, for example. I am not criticizing anyone who has gotten divorced, but divorce is not a good or a happy thing.

          You see Job, like many of us made promises and took vows to serve and love God. Satan though says when things are really hard though, many will break their vows. These could be broken wedding vows, or broken faith. Since God allows Satan to test and harm Job, the scripture picks up as 2:7 saying once again:

⁷ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. ⁸ Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes. ⁹ Then his wife said to him, “Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die.” ¹⁰ But he said to her, “You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips (Job 2:7-10, NRSV).

          Job’s commitment, his covenant to God is not shaken. Throughout the entire Book of Job, he will suffer, but he will never forsake God. At the end of the Book of Job, God rewards Job with even more than he had before.

          Are marriage vows, and vows to God conditional, or unconditional. I worry my friends that increasingly we live in a conditional society, not an unconditional society. Are there Biblical reasons for divorce? Of course.

          I worry in this post-modern era that we live in however, that some have conditional faith in God. We decide what God will do for us, or how God will fulfill the covenant we want God to make with us, and when God does not fulfill our expectations, then we divorce God. Will God ever leave us for forsake us? No. Maybe though, in our minds our covenant with God is one that is beneficial to us, and we expect God to whatever we want him to do, whenever we want it. God never breaks covenant with us, but many break covenant with God. God’s covenant with us is unconditional, even though some people have a conditional covenant with God.

          Our reading for this morning from the Book of Hebrews tells us that God spoke to our ancestors and various prophets in the Old Testament. In last days though, God has spoken to us through his Son Jesus Christ. Jesus became like one of us, took of flesh, suffered, struggled, and died for us all. So, does God know suffering? Oh yes, through Jesus, and through what he sees in the broken world every minute of every day.

          When I think of God allowing Satan to put Job through a time of trial and suffering this morning, I think of one of my favorite movies. This movie came out in 1983, stars Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy, and is called “Trading Places”

          So, what is the plot for the 1983 movie “Trading Places”? Here it is:

Trading Places is a 1983 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod. It stars Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, Denholm Elliott, and Jamie Lee Curtis. The film tells the story of an upper-class commodities broker (Aykroyd) and a poor street hustler (Murphy) whose lives cross when they are unwittingly made the subject of an elaborate bet to test how each man will perform when their life circumstances are swapped (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trading_Places).

          Well, if you have seen the 1983 movie “Trading Places,” the rich and pampered Dan Aykroyd falls apart, and the now rich and Eddie Murphy, changes, as well. All of this happens because Dan Aykroyd’s bosses the “Duke” brothers make a one dollar bet. One bets Dan Aykroyd will faulter, the other bets he will not. Sound a little familiar to our Book of Job story for this morning?       

          Is our faith and trust in God, our spouse, and our family conditional, or unconditional? Will we break when it gets hard, or will keep our faith and our covenants?

          In our gospel of Mark reading for this morning once again, the Pharisees tests Jesus using the covenant of marriage. Once again, the scripture picks up in Mark 10:2 saying:

² Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” ³ He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴ They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” ⁵ But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. ⁶ But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ⁷ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,  ⁸ and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate” (Mk. 10:2-9, NRSV).

          Some Christians could argue that one should never divorce ever, under any circumstances, but when the marriage covenant is violated, sometimes it cannot be repaired. No one likes divorce, but if someone makes a conditional promise to an unconditional covenant than they have not kept their vows. If the vows are kept, and both love, care for, and do everything that they said they would, then in general there should be no reason for a divorce. Sometimes though people violate the marriage covenant.

          Jesus then says stating in Mark 2:10 once again:

¹⁰ Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. ¹¹ He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; ¹² and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery” (Mk. 2:10-12, NRSV).

          Many Christian denominations and churches approve divorces under certain circumstances, and Jesus is talking about conditional love, or a conditional covenant. Jesus is saying that you cannot an eternal covenant and then just decide for no reason that you want out. Marriage means that both people are committed and working to maintain their marriage covenant. If that covenant is extremely violated, then yes this can be biblical grounds for divorce, but people should not divorce because they found someone younger, there spouse got sick, etc.

          Marriage, like our commitment to God is both parties making an unconditional covenant to be faithful to each other. According to one source that I read it says that:

“In the United States, about 50% of married couples divorce, the sixth-highest divorce rate in the world” (https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/divorce-rate-by-state).

          I think the reason in part that we have so many divorces in this country, is not because we are bad people, but because many people have a tough time keeping an unconditional covenant. Maybe some people enter into the unconditional covenant of marriage, but inside they really are making a conditional covenant.

          It makes perfect sense to me then, that when some people come to Christ, repent of there sin, accept Jesus, follow God, and are filled by the Holy Spirit that some people internally might accept Christ conditionally. They love Jesus, they are part of the church, they are living their faith, as long as the conditional covenant they have made with God is upheld. Except, God only has an unconditional covenant with us. We might be unfaithful to God, but God will never be unfaithful to us. Some of us might decide what we expect God to be and to do, and when God does not deliver, well then, we just divorce God.

          Making an unconditional covenant is important, and there are times when that covenant is strong, and sometimes when that covenant is weak. This morning, Jesus says that divorce should not be a matter of convenience and that both men and women matter in marriage. God is so certain this morning that his servant Job has made an eternal covenant with him, not a conditional covenant with him that he allows Satan to test Job. God allows Satan to make Job suffer, but the Book of Job ends with Job’s faith in God being unconditional, not conditional.

          I do not know about you all, but I want unconditional faith in God. As my sermon time says this morning of Job, I want “Faith Like That”! Do you? Amen.

 

Sidney UMC - Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost - 09/19/21 - Sermon - “The Wisdom From Above” (“The Book of James” - Series: Part 3 of 4)

Sunday 09/19/21 - Sidney UMC 

Sermon Title:                “The Widsom From Above”

                             (“The Book of James” - Series: Part 3 of 4)

Old Testament Scripture: Proverbs 31:10-31                                         

New Testament Scripture: James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

Gospel Lesson: Mark 9:30-37

          For the past two weeks I have preached a sermon series on the Book of James. As I have mentioned for past two weeks, the Book of James, while an enjoyable book of scripture, it is a hard book of scripture. The Book of James in many ways calls us to be more righteous, more holy, and of course more like Jesus. All of us, myself included, can continue to love more deeply and care more deeply, and continue to be more like Jesus.

In the first week of this Book of James sermon series, I preached on James 2:1-17. The topic once again was “Faith and Works.” As I said on this Sunday, all we need is faith in Christ for salvation, eternity, and heaven, but doing good works is a measure of our faith in Christ and conveys our love for our neighbors. The world needs our good works, but God does not.

Last Sunday, I talked about how the Apostle James tells us in the Book of James, that we need to consider our tongues. We need to realize that the words we say can do a lot of good, or they can do a lot of evil. Last Sunday we were all challenged therefore to “Tame our Tongues!” This includes me! What we say with our tongues, has the ability, the power, and the capacity to do amazing things, or terrible things. This little thing in our mouth can built up or tear down.

 Today, on this the third week of the Book of James sermon series, James talks to us, in part, about wisdom. Where do we acquire wisdom, love, and caring? In our culture today we tend to look for it everywhere, don’t we? We look to magazines, television shows, self-help books, products, brands, etc. How do we acquire wisdom? How do we get the grounding we need to live like Christ?

It is interesting that this morning we have a reading from the Book of Proverbs that talks about the perfect wife. This reading ends the Book of Proverbs with our reading from 31:10-31, and there is company out there called “31”. This company sells tote bag and all sort of things. Does anyone here own any products from “31”? The name of this company is based upon our reading for this morning from the Book of Proverbs. This reading honors women, honors wives, and talks about how amazing a woman, a wife can be. In 31:26 it says:

“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue” (Prov. 31:26, NRSV).

          Throughout the entire Book of Proverbs wisdom is referred to as her, she, or a woman. In asking all of the woman in church last Sunday, if wisdom should be a woman or a man, the consensus was pretty clear that it should be a woman.

          That being said, where do we get wisdom? Where do we get truth? From magazines, television show, books? How do we know how to live, love, and lead? Further, without God how would we even know what love is?

          In looking at our Book of James reading for this morning once again, James begins with talking about wisdom. Beginning in 3:13 it says once again:

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. ¹⁵ Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. ¹⁶ For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.

          As I re-read this, I am sure we can think of people, or parts of our own lives that draw upon broken and un-Godly earthly wisdom. It is very easy for us to make a compromise, then another, then another, and then another. People can start doing things and saying things that look and sound nothing like the gospel of Jesus Christ.

          Since God through Jesus Christ is the source of life, light, and love though, to love is to know God. To hate is to be disconnected from God. I know that the Book of Ecclesiastes says there is a “time to hate,” but in general, we are to love, to care for, and to be focused on our neighbor. Worldly teaching and wisdom tell us that we need only worry about ourselves and that only crime is getting caught. As Christians, as the church, we are called to live and love like Jesus Christ. Are we going to mess it up some days? You bet, but worldly wisdom is not wisdom that will center us on God and serving others.

          So, emphatic about this the Apostle James picks up in 3:17 for this morning saying once again:

¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. ¹⁸ And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace (Jas. 3:17-18, NRSV).

People have asked me, “But Pastor Paul if that is true, why do we read once awhile that a pastor or a prominent church leader has committed a crime?” Simple, they took their eyes of “The Wisdom From Above,” and transferred it to earthly wisdom, wants, and desires.

In baptizing Brett this morning, I was reminded of the beauty of our baptismal covenant. You see, all of us agreed that we are going to love Brett, care about him, let him know that Jesus loves him, and let him know that he is always welcomed here, through that baptismal covenant. We hope to love the heaven into people, not scare you know what out of them. The church is filled with broken people, redeemed by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. We are reminded every Sunday, and every day, that we should seek “The Wisdom From Above,” not the wisdom of this world. While none of us are perfect, we follow a perfect savior named Jesus. Every day we hope to grow is grace, holiness, and love. This unfortunately, is not always the wisdom that we get from the world.

Imagine going to a church, as Pastor George Gallandorm said, that is the like the theme song to the show “Cheers”. Anyone her ever seen “Cheers”? Don’t worry I am not going to put a bar in the sanctuary! What Pastor George commented on about the theme song to “Cheers,” is part that say, “Everyone knows you name.” A place you go to feel loved, to feel cared for, to draw closer to Jesus and each other. Maybe some of us on a given day have grown in faith, and yet some have struggled. We come together and laugh and cry together, for this is body of Jesus Christ.

So serious are we about our commitment to Christ, to help the world, and each other, that we entered into a covenant this morning to love the heaven into Brett. So that whenever his family comes in with him, they will leave feeling loved, filled, and more holy and righteous. This is “The Wisdom From Above.” This is what the church was always meant to be, and this is what makes it so different than the world.

Like the world though, because we are human, sometimes people have a conflict within the church. As such, James goes on to say, starting chapter 4 once again:

4 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? ² You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures                      (Jas. 4:1-3, NRSV).

 

          Interesting, and this was written almost two-thousand years ago. The church though that Jesus Christ founded was and is a church where we draw people to Christ, we learn the Bible, we love others, and we love our neighbor as ourselves. Why are the churches that really growing and making disciples of Jesus Christ right now so successful? It isn’t really that complicated, they are created a community of followers of Christ that are a really tight knit spiritual family. People that love you, will watch your kids, will teach them in Sunday School, people you can love, rely on, grow with together, and people that have your back through thick and thin. Why are churches like this growing so much? Well, who wouldn’t want to be part of a church like that? A church that just met a beautiful little baby for the first time, and said, he’s part of our family now. We love him, we love his family, and they are always welcome here.

          To bring this point home more, and to close our Book of James reading for this morning, James concludes once again with:

⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded
(Jas. 4:7-8a, NRSV).

          When we love each other and we are focused on God through Jesus Christ, the church becomes a force at work in the world to be reckoned with. This is why we should seek “The Wisdom From Above,” not the wisdom of the world.

          In briefly looking at out gospel of Mark lesson for this morning, once again we have Jesus traveling with his disciples. Jesus is explaining to them that after he is done teaching them for what will end up being three years, that he is going to be betrayed, tried, mock, crucified, entombed, but will be resurrected from the dead. The disciples, the scripture says did not yet fully understand that Jesus would die and rise again (Mk. 9:30-32, NRSV).

          In the last part of our gospel of Mark reading once again, the disciples were arguing over who among them was the greatest. They were clearly in this moment seeking earthly wisdom, not “The Wisdom from Above.” The gospel of Mark reading for this morning then ends once again saying:

³⁵ He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” ³⁶ Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷ “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me” (Mk. 9:35-37, NRSV).

 

          Jesus was telling his disciples to seek “The Wisdom From Above.” It isn’t about who is better or who is worse, it is about whether we are following and being faithful to God through Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus picks up a little child, and tells the disciples if you welcome a child like this in his name, like Brett, then you welcome Jesus himself.

          This morning and always, we are called seek “The Wisdom From Above,” and in doing this, Jesus tells us to have faith like meeting a baby for the first time. When we meet that baby, welcome them, love them, and in doing so, we love like Jesus, and seeking “The Wisdom From Above.” Amen.

Sidney UMC - Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 09/12/21 - Sermon - “Taming the Tongue!” (“The Book of James” - Series: Part 2 of 4)

Sunday 09/12/21 - Sidney UMC 

Sermon Title:                “Taming the Tongue!”

                    (“The Book of James” - Series: Part 2 of 4)

Old Testament Scripture: Proverbs 1:20-33                                  

New Testament Scripture: James 3:1-12

Gospel Lesson: Mark 8:27-38

          Last Sunday, as some of you may remember, I started a sermon series on the Book of James. As I said last Sunday, the Book of James is a challenging book of scripture. The Apostle James, the brother of the Apostle John pulls no punches, and tells us all very boldly and directly how Christians are supposed to live. The Book of James is book of scripture that should convict us to turn from our sin and to be better. To be more like Jesus.

In our reading for last Sunday, we were given James 2:1-17 once again. In this reading, James addressed the topic of “Faith and Works”. James told us that “faith without works is dead” (Jas. 2:17). Meaning, if we know Christ, if we have been transformed by Christ, is this reflected in our daily living? Are we doing good works because we want to, versus stacking them up like a bank account to get us into heaven? All we need is faith in Christ for salvation, eternity, heaven, but doing good works is a measure of our faith in Christ and our love of our neighbors.

Since I preached at Unadilla UMC last Sunday, Georgia Baker, who is on our Sauce and Cross praise team and a member of Unadilla UMC asked me if I was really preaching on the Book of James this whole month. Georgia asked me this because she is preaching this morning at the Unadilla UMC. I told her “Yes, I am preaching on the Book of James this whole month”. Then she said, “Not me that’s too hard!” She is not wrong!

This morning from our Book of James reading we hear once again about the dangers of our tongues. Not just that we have tongues, but what we can saw with our tongues. Our tongues can do a lot of good, and they can do a lot of bad.

In our Book of Proverbs reading for this morning once again, Proverbs 1:20 says:

²⁰ Wisdom cries out in the street; in the squares she raises her voice           (Prov. 1:20, NRSV).

Do we share wisdom with our tongues, or do we do the opposite? I was not too excited about giving this sermon this morning in a way, because I don’t know if you know this about me or not, but I talk a lot. I will pause for a moment so you can all take that this shocking revelation in, as the idea that I talk a lot is probably a hard thing for you to hear about me! I know, I am sure that Melissa is surprised right now to!

You see, I am an extreme extrovert. If I am not careful, I will interrupt you when you’re talking, and I will likely say the first thing that come to my mind. I know I know, you are no doubt very shocked to hear this! In fact, in one of my seminary classes the teacher told me that I was only allowed to ask three questions per class. I am talker, and sometimes I talk before, I think. Sometimes this has even caused me to have the rare disorder called “Foot in Mouth Disorder”.

So let us hear the very stinging and convicting words from the Book of James for this morning once again starting in James 3:1, which says:

3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. ² For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. ³ If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. ⁴ Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits (Jas. 3:1-5, NRSV).

Our tongues are small, but they can do a lot of good, and they can do a lot of damage. I am talker, a chatterer, and I need to control my tongue more. How about all of you? Do you need to “Tame your Tongue?” Many of us have heard statements like, “If you have nothing good to say, then don’t say anything at all”! Or “You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar”. My favorite of course is “Sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt me”.

My mom was at a Christian women’s conference once, and the speaker challenged the idea that “words will never hurt me”. In fact, this speaker said, “words wound”. I have said things in my life that I regret, have you? I have been forgiven and I have forgiven myself, but the tongue is powerful little thing right inside of our mouths. Continuing on from James 3:5b it says:

How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! ⁶ And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell    (Jas. 3:5b-6, NRSV).

Do you understand now why some pastors and priests don’t like to preach out of the Book of James? It is a tough book of scripture, and it calls us all out our sins, our flaws, and our brokenness. The Book of James calls us to repent of our sins and live and love more like Jesus. I am sure as we are all thinking right now that we can all remember things that we have said that maybe looking back we now regret. Maybe we were scared, exhausted, or stressed, and we said things that we should not have. We have all done it. The Apostle James tells us that we all on some level need “Taming of the Tongue!”

Let us finish reading through our Book of James reading for this morning from James 3:7-12 once again, which says:

⁷ For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, ⁸ but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰ From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. ¹¹ Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh (Jas. 3:7-12, NRSV).

The Apostle James does not pull any punches, or as your mother and father used to say, “Watch your mouth young man!” or “Watch you mouth young lady!” Anyone ever heard that line before? How about, “As long you live under this roof you will follow our rules and show us some respect!” Or for me my mother said when I was kid, “So Paul you are saying that you didn’t eat the Doritos, but the empty Doritos bag is in your garbage can, and your fingertips are orange”? I said, “Yes mom that is correct!” I fessed up pretty quick after that!

You know the older I get, I want to show people the love, mercy, and compassion of Jesus. I want to tell them the truth, and sometime the truth can cut and sting. Yet the truth can still be told in love. I don’t know about you all, but I need “Taming” of “the Tongue” sometimes! Do you? Someone in the gospels who definitely needed “Taming” of “the Tongue” was the Apostle Peter. The Apostle Peter was always blurting out things and always trying to do what Jesus did, or sometimes even trying to tell Jesus what to do. It never ended well.

Of all of the Apostles that I think I am the most like, I am the most like the Apostle Peter. When focused though when we “Tame our Tongues” God can use us. Someone can be punched, slapped, kicked, but the tongue can also do a whole lot of damage, can it not? The tongue takes wedding vows, the tongue communicates our inmost thoughts.

In looking briefly at our gospel of Mark reading for this morning, Jesus inquires of his disciples who others saying he is. In fact, starting in Mark 7:27 it says:

²⁷ Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” ²⁸ And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹ He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” ³⁰ And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him (Mk. 7:27-29, NRSV).

 

          The Apostle Peter, as usual had no problem blurting out his thoughts. After this in our gospel of Mark reading for this morning, Jesus, teaches us with his tongue, what he will do, why, and what we must do as Christians. The gospel continues on in Mark 7:31 saying of Jesus:

³¹ Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³² He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³ But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

 

          So again, the Apostle Peter just blurts things out to Jesus. I am personally glad that I never just blurt things out!

The gospel reading for this morning then concludes once again with Jesus teaching the crowd, with his tongue. Our gospel lesson for this morning ends start in Mark 8:34 with:

³⁴ He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ³⁵ For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. ³⁶ For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? ³⁷ Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? ³⁸ Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mk. 8:34-38, NRSV).

 

          Pretty powerful words from the tongue of the Son of God, God in the flesh, the savior of the world. How many of us have said powerful words that were both good and not good? I do not know about you friends, but sometimes I need “Taming” of “the tongue”. How about you? Amen.