Stop It
Don’t stop me if you heard this. A young man goes to the doctor and says, ”Doc, it hurts when I do this.” He replied, “Don’t do that!” Badumbump!
Today’s scripture lesson is simply summed up into one simple sentence. “If you are a Christian, act like it.” Wow, what insight. Let’s take a few moments and look at Paul’s letter to the Ephesians chapter 4 25 So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Speak the truth. Stop lying! This is probably the easiest of all sins. Almost without thinking, like a knee jerk reaction, we make up lies. Most we consider harmless. We lie to cover our actions. We lie to smooth things over. We even convince ourselves that we lie for the other person’s well being. But thou shall not lie is the 9th commandment. Equal with you shall not kill. If you are in the habit of lying, stop it!
26Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger. Ok everybody gets angry. Anger can be healthy. It is how we react to anger that can be a problem. First there is the physical consequences to acting in anger, like putting your hand through a closed window, punching the wall or hitting another person. These things can cost big time. It costs pain, it costs to replace what we break and it can cost us respect, our family, our friends and even our freedom.
Anger and cancer have some things in common. They fester and grow with time. And both can destroy your life. And both when dealt with early, can be removed without much or any permanent damage.
Paul knows that everyone gets angry. It is part of the human DNA. But it is how we decide to react to it that matters. Sure we get angry but we must deal with it right away. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger. Don’t let it become part of who you are. Deal with it early and let it go. Yes, I know it is much easier to say than to do. And in many cases you may be right. But in the end, holding onto anger kills our souls slowly. It affects our personality and our faith. And if left unchecked we become bitter miserable people who no one wants to be around. And of course, for that we become angry. If we let it, it becomes a pit that we may never climb out.
As a Christian, we have help here. We have prayer, and a Holy Spirit that can change us from the inside out. If you are angry, pray. Put the matter into God’s hands. Trust that He will do what is best. Believe it or not, sometimes we get angry when we are in the wrong. Trust and tell God how you feel, Ask Him to help you let go of your anger. And talk to your Christian friends. Talk to your church family, talk to your pastor. Sometimes, we have tunnel vision and need a broader perspective. And once we see this it helps us let go of anger. Oh, and if none of that works, seek professional help. We are one body. And sometimes we need to seek out the person whom God has gifted with professional skills to help people work through anger issues that are too deep for us to deal with ourselves despite our friends and faith community. And yes, there are some issues even I as a pastor am unqualified to deal with. And I do refer people to Christian counselors that are more qualified than I am. We are blessed with having some very good Christian counselors in our area.
The next but of advice from Paul is very important. Do not make room for the devil. Ok, here is a simple fact. Sometimes, it is not always us. There is a spiritual battle going on every day. And Satan, does his very best to tempt us back into his domain. This is important; the devil does not bother with non-Christians. Hear this again. He does not bother with non-Christians. The devil does not desire that which is already his. The devil does not waste time on people who are already hell bound. But when you accept Jesus into your heart, Jesus claims you and Satan looses title. At that moment, you become Satan’s target. At that moment you will find temptation around every corner. Satan tempted Jesus Himself. And he did it at the very moment Jesus was at his weakest. The same is true for us. Every day we must resist the devil and strive to live righteous lives. Once again, easier said than done. But we have prayer, the Holy Spirit and each other to help keep us on the right track.
28Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. If you are stealing, stop it! Do something honest and share your fruits with those in need. Need I say more? Live a life that you can be proud of. Live a life that you and your family can be proud of.
29Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, Oh my goodness. There is nothing more destructive to any church. Is there any tool Satan uses more effectively than our tongues? Good church people, pillars of the community can open their mouths and tear down others self image, break their spirit and replace the Joy of serving Lord with misery. One unthoughtful, mean spirited comment can cut a fellow Christian spirit in half. The saying loose lips sink ships? Well they decimate churches and ministries. And it comes from the leadership of the church. For example, John 12:3 Then Mary took an extraordinary amount, almost three-quarters of a pound,[a] of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She anointed Jesus’ feet with it, then wiped his feet dry with her hair. The house was filled with the aroma of the perfume. 4 Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), complained, 5 “This perfume was worth a year’s wages![b] Why wasn’t it sold and the money given to the poor?” (6 He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would take what was in it.) 7 Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone.”
Here Mary Magdalene, was giving Jesus her very best. And Judas, one of the disciples because of his own agenda, berated her for it. And Jesus said STOP IT!
It is easy to criticize others, especially when we have no investment ourselves. In the 23 years I have been in ministry, I have seen people crush the souls of fellow Christians. With one unkind word we run people off. It happens all the time.
I had a women come into my office who began her conversation, I’m not a negative person but…
One failing I have as a pastor is that I don’t like offending people. Because after that But. This person, who was a pillar of the church, began to spew the most negative, destructive unproductive borderline evil rant I have ever heard. What I should have done, was interrupt her at the “But” and said, “Yes you are!” You are a negative person! Stop It!
Say something negative about anyone doing anything in the church and see what it does to their faith. Well, you won’t. They will not be back. Yes, we must speak the truth… In love! No one complains in love.
Remember in Kindergarten? “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all!” I say this with all the passion and conviction I can muster. As I said , I love and respect you and don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I don’t want to say anything that would hurt or cause anyone to feel bad about themselves. So, I say it to everyone. And if the Holy Spirit touches your heart, then heed these words I say in love. Here Goes, “My precious friends in Christ. If you can’t keep your mouth shut. Please stay home. Because the damage you inflict, through unkind words could be the stumbling block that keeps a person from ever knowing Christ in their heart. Don’t let Satan use you and your words as his weapon.”
I can hear it now, “Now you’re getting personal preacher!” Well the truth is Not all the spiritual food we are given has a good taste. Sometimes we need to take our medicine to get better and be better Christians.
On the other hand we should always say what is useful for building up,* as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. As much as our words can inflict pain they can also heal. Small words of encouragement can heal wounds and bolster the faith of those drowning in pain and despair. A smile, a pat on the back can make all the difference in the world. God Himself cherishes our praises. The more praise we give Him and each other the better. A strong church is built on positive relationships and support. We should always be looking for the Good in people. We should always be finding ways to connect. We should always find a way to build people up! 31Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice,32and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.
Forgive one another. Be kind to one another and tender-hearted. Grudges, destroy. Unforgiveness eats away at our souls. Forgiveness does more for us than it does for the person we are forgiving. It allows us to move on from the pain of the past. Notice it doesn’t mean forgive and forget. Forgive and move on. I forgive you for what you did to me. But that doesn’t mean things will go back to the way they were before. We forgive and we learn so that we are not hurt again.
Finally, Both Paul and I will conclude with these words, 51Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children,2and live in love, as Christ loved us* and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Live in love! If you’re doing anything else, Stop It! Amen.
