Iliff and Saltillo United Methodist Churches
March 16, 2003
Second Sunday of Lent
“Use Caution”: Watch Your Mouths
I Peter 3:8-15
Introduction: Today’s scripture was written to Christians living in a pagan society where Christianity was being attacked and Christians were persecuted and even put to death for their faith. Peter was calling them to grow into maturity in their lifestyles toward others. It was a call to right living in word as well as in their actions. He wanted these qualities to be the norm in a Christian’s life rather than the exception to the rule. The natural response was to respond to hostility with retaliation and hateful cutting words. Peter is telling them, “No, you should respond in a different way--with gentleness--the quality that trusts God to do the work of changing people and attitudes.”
Peter had developed these qualities over a long period of time the hard way. In his early days with Christ these attitudes did not come naturally to him. He was impulsive, strong willed, and he was always getting his foot in his mouth and saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. He had a difficult time and suffered the consequences many times.
James says, “you can tame a tiger but you can’t tame a tongue” (James 3:7 Message Bible). Peter probably would agree with this statement. This sums up the problem that Peter had experienced earlier in his life and that the Christians under his care were experiencing as well. Today’s message is entitled, “Use Caution”: Watch Your Mouths.” Each of us at one time or another have a problem with our mouths. Especially when people rub us the wrong way. What can we learn from today’s scripture that will help us in this area of our life?
1. What Do We Need to Watch Out For?: We need to watch out for both direct and indirect things that we say to hurt people. We seem to fail time after time in our efforts to say and do what pleases the Lord. We blow it time after time.
STORY: A teenager came home from choir practice early one evening. His father was couldn’t believe it. The boy had never come home early from anything. Looking over his paper he asked, "What brings you back so soon?" "We had to call off choir practice for this week," the boy replied. "The organist and the choir director got in a terrible argument about how to sing `Love Divine,’ so we quit for tonight."
In this chapter Peter gives five characteristics that, if put into practice, will help us in what we say and how we say it. Peter knew that all of these characteristics were interrelated in the process of our Christian growth and maturity. He says to live in
1. harmony
2. sympathy
3. love
4. compassion
5. humility.
How does this relate to our speech? He knew that if people lived in harmony with one another that there would be less opportunity for heated disagreements in which verbal hurt is hurled at one another. Romans 12:16 says also to “live in harmony with one another... Do not be proud,... do not be conceited.” Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If possible, as far as it depends on on you, live at peace with everyone.”
He said to begin to pursue similar goals of being a Christian in a pagan world--to let Christ show through your life. If we were consious of pointing others to Christ as our primary goal, we probably wouldn’t tear others down with our words. In our fallen world it is considered acceptable by some to tear people down verbally or to get back at them if we feel hurt. Jesus came up with a different idea that most of us don’t put into practice or at least not very often. He told his disciples in Matthew 5:3, “if someone strikes you on the right cheek turn to him the other also...”
Second, Peter also says live in sympathy by being responsive to other’s needs and in love by treating each other as brothers and sisters. Jesus said to even go beyond that. “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Jesus’ readiness to pay back wrongs by praying for the offenders goes a long way toward avoiding hateful insults and quarrels that break out among people.
QUOTE: Abraham Lincoln was once being criticized for his attitude towards his enemies. "Why do you try to make friends with them>? a colleague asked. "You should try to destroy them." Am I not destroying my enemies." the President asked gently, "when I make them my friends?"
In God’s kingdom revenge is unacceptable behavior as is insulting a person no matter how INDIRECTLY it is done.
Some people will say, “I just get back at a person by making a little DIG at them. But they KNEW what I MEANT. Direct or indirect comments still add fuel to the fire and break down the harmony.
STORY: A lady was sick, so she went to the doctor. He examined her, did a number of tests and told her the bad news.
"I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but I’m afraid you’ve contracted rabies."
The doctor left the room for a minute, and when he returned the woman was busy writing on a piece of paper. He asked, "What are you doing, writing your will?"
She said, "No, I’m making a list of all the people I’m going to bite."
James again says, “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a SMALL spark. The tongue also is a fire...” (James 3: ). You may not be able to keep people from slandering you but you can at least stop supplying them with amunition. Keep your conduct AND RESPONSES above criticism and as long as you do what’s right their accusations will be empty and only embarrass them.
Peter said your lifestyle should involve compassion which is sensitivity and caring responses toward one another. The fifth thing Peter felt important in developing a better relationship with one another was humility--encouraging one another and rejoicing in each other’s successes. Philippians 2:5-8 says, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”
What was that?
“who being in the very nature of God did not consider
equality with God something to be grasped but made
himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness...he humbled himself and
became obedient to death--even death on a cross.”
2. Why Is it Important to Watch Our Mouths?: Scripture says it is important because we have been CALLED to inherit a blessing. Galatians 3:14 says that “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus that by faith you might receive the promise of the Spirit.” This blessing is for us as well in the 21st century. So often we miss out on the blessings of God because of our mouths and what conflicts they stir up.
Verse 9 links the way we respond to our receiving a blessing. How does this work? The way we respond to others causes the door of God’s blessing to us to be either open or closed. Peter explains this by saying, “whoever would love life and see good days must
1. keep his tongue from evil
2. his lips from deceitful speech
Don’t involve yourself in trouble and arguments that make your life a burden. When you bless someone you are speaking well of someone, you have a friendly disposition, you pray for them, and you are trying to build them up. You are responding to hostility with GRACE--unmerited favor.
Peter is saying, “because of this--the calling of Christians to grace should make them GRACIOUS to others. When you are GRACIOUS to others you certainly are not saying hateful, insulting things to others. You are not doing hateful things. You are being gracious. Sometimes you give people the RIGHT OF WAY to go ahead of you even if they are not deserving.
STORY: On a driver’s test the applicant was asked, “Who has the right of way at a 4 way stop?”
The person quickly replied, “The pickup truck with the gun rack in the back.”
As a result this way of responding opens the door of God’s blessing to YOU as well.
Being gracious to others may lead to longer life and better days ahead. Proverbs 13:15 says, “a life of evil and strife may be shortened and marred.” Proverbs 17:13 says, “If a [person] pays back evil for good, evil will never leave his/her house.” It is to your advantage to desire life in its goodness by guarding your ways and your tongues.
This week remember that “you were CALLED so that you may inherit a blessing.” Don’t allow your words to CLOSE THE DOOR to God’s blessing.
QUOTE: "Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves." -- J.M. Barrie
3. How Can We Achieve This?: It was the Holy Spirit that changed Peter, molding his strong personality to God’s use and teaching him tenderness and humility. We do not leave it all to God to do for us and we do not try to do it all on our own.
When the center of a person’s life is rightly related to God he/she is able to respond properly.
This week ask yourself the question, “Is my life centered and rightly related to God. The Lenten season is a time when we can come to the Lord once again and ask for His forgiveness. “ If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).
It is possible to live in such a way that our words will not hurt others or hinder the good life that God wants us to have. It takes some effort on our part to pursue peace--make it a priority. Verse 11 says, “...turn from evil and do good; ...SEEK peace and PURSUE it.” This is not a passive response but rather an ACTIVE one--SEEK and PURSUE. Do your part and God will do his.
CONCLUSION: How is it really possible to live like verses 8-12 says to live?
Deepen your relationship with the Lord by
1. developing the five characteristics that Peter described in this scripture
2. realize that you have been CALLED to receive a blessing. Don’t miss out on it.
3. Actively SEEK and PURSUE peace and allow the Holy Spirit to change you and make you gracious to others.
Let us pray:
