Mark 8:27-38

One day as Jesus and the disciples were walking, Jesus asked a question. He said, "Who do the people say I am?" The disciples answered, "Some say you are John the Baptist. Others say you are Elijah or one of the prophets come back to life."

Then Jesus made the question more personal. "Who do you say that I am?" There was probably a moment of silence as each waited for another to say what they all suspected but dare not give voice. Then Peter, the bold one - the chief Apostle said, "You are the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed one of God."

And Jesus said, "You are right, now don't you dare tell anyone!"

Now why did Jesus tell them not to tell anyone? You would think that he would tell them to spread the word that the Messiah had come but instead he told them to keep quiet. I think it was because Jesus wanted time to reeducate the disciples before they started spreading this great news. He wanted to teach them what God's plan was for the Messiah. You see the disciples were sure they already understood God's plan for the Messiah. The Rabbis had taught them that part good.

According to the religious understanding of that day the world would get worse and worse, spiraling down into a moral and spiritual pit. Finally when things could get no worse God would send Elijah back to prepare the way of the Messiah. Then God's Messiah would arrive like a knight in shining armor. He would be a great warrior king. One who comes with political and military might to physically crush his foes. He would unite the people in a great battle against whoever oppressed God's people and vanquish them. Then he would take his throne in Jerusalem and rule Israel in peace and prosperity. It would be like the "good old days" when David was king all over again.

Well, things had gotten pretty bad. The Romans had occupied the county. Pagan ideas and culture were corrupting the people. Even the high priest was under the thumb of a pagan power. Maybe the time had come for the Messiah to make war on the Romans and conquer them.

Jesus had to straighten out all their misconceptions about the Messiah before too many realized who he was. If the people found out he was the Messiah before they got it straight it would be a disaster. They had already tried to make him king once. (John 6:15) If they discovered that he was the Messiah with their misunderstanding of Messiah, they might go form an army and try to draft him as supreme commander. Hundreds or thousands would die senselessly.

So Jesus explained to his disciples God's plan for the Messiah. "The Messiah must go through great suffering. Even the elders and religious authorities will reject him. He will be killed and in three days rise again." Jesus didn't mince his words, but got straight to the point.

This was an affront to everything the disciples had been taught. God's anointed king suffer and die? Never! That verged on blasphemy. To suggest that God would allow pagan Gentiles to torture, mistreat, and even kill God's Messiah was against everything they had been taught. No, God's Messiah would have the power of the Almighty and would conquer! So Peter rebuked Jesus. He didn't suggest that Jesus was mistaken, he rebuked him. "No Jesus. You're dead wrong on that one." And Jesus rebuked him back, "Get out of here! You are thinking like men not like God."

Jesus noticed that Peter was defining victory and life in human terms not in God's terms. Jesus had given them God's definition of Messiah, one who suffers, dies, and rises, now he would give them God's definition of victory. And he let the crowds in on this one. "If any want to be my followers let them take up their cross and follow me." Take up a cross? Only thieves and criminals take up a cross. The Bible says, "Cursed is the one who hangs on a tree." What could he mean?

Jesus continued, "For those who seek to save their life will lose it, yet those who lose their life for me and the Gospel will save it." That contradicts logic. If you want to save your life you should fight and even kill to preserve it. But here Jesus says the way to life is through death.

"For what do you gain if you gain the whole world and lose your life." Aha, maybe Jesus means that true life is not found in political or military power, but in spiritual power. God will conquer the Romans and the evil of our world, but not with a sword. Maybe Jesus will conquer it - by dying? But how can you defeat the Romans by dying? What's this cross got to do with it? Did he say something about rising again? I am sure many walk away from that assembly very puzzled.

Jesus asked his disciples some questions so let me ask you some questions. Why do people come to church? Let's make that more personal: Why do you come to church? My belief is that in some sense we all came here because we want to live. Like Peter we have recognized that Jesus is the Christ, the son of living God. And we believe that Jesus can give us eternal life. Not just life in heaven after death, but abundant life in the here an now. And so we have come here to learn and follow Jesus in the way of life.

But Jesus says, "If you want to follow me you must take up an instrument of torture and death; a cross. Because if you try to hold on to life you will lose it, but if you surrender your life for me and Gospel you will have true life. After all what good is it to gain the whole world and never really live."

Maybe abundant life is not about all the things people often think it is. Maybe "the good life" is not being materially well off or even comfortable. Maybe "living large" isn't about having leisure time to contemplate the mysteries of the world. Maybe abundant living does not depend on being in good health or on good terms with everyone.

If we want real life we should follow Jesus' example. And what is that example? It is to take up the pastime of suffering for others. Of picking up the shame and rejection of others, and placing it on our shoulders to help them bear it to a hill of forgiveness. Maybe we should follow Jesus by putting our self interest aside and dying for another. Maybe after we have put our lives aside for love of another and died to self, then we will know what it really means to live.

James 3:1-12

Choose your words carefully. That is what I say to myself whenever I am writing a sermon or speaking as a pastor. When I was younger I had a Sunday School teacher that used to quote James 3:1 often. She knew that I had heard a call to preach and she reminded me that "We who teach will be judged with a greater strictness." As a preacher I try to take that knowledge to heart.

I know that people will sometimes listen to what I say and may actually take it seriously. So I want to be sure I do not say things that may lead people astray. Some people think that preachers shouldn't write their sermons out, but should be "led by the Spirit." I agree a preacher should be led by the Holy Spirit, but I also plan what I am going to say carefully so that the Spirit has more time to help me get it right.

But what is true for a teacher or preacher is just as true for all Christians. Just as a preacher must choose her or his words carefully we all should. As James wrote, the tongue is a small member but it is like a rudder that though small turns a great ship. We all have had the experience of saying the wrong words to disastrous ends and we have also been in the place where we did not know what to say. And as Christians we need to remember that we represent Christ as Ambassadors of God. And as Ambassadors of God people may take what we say seriously.

For that reason today I want to talk about some things that should not be a part of a Christian's speech.

The first thing that shouldn't be a part of a Christian speech are the words luck and fortune. I know we use those words without thinking. We say "Aren't we lucky to have such a lovely day." "Isn't our church fortunate to have such a good choir?" "Wasn't she lucky to marry such a nice man." "If it weren't for bad luck I would have no luck at all."

But as Christians we don't believe in luck or fortune. We know that all good gifts are from God. The concepts of luck or fortune state that good things happen just by chance. And most people believe that: things happen by chance. And when we use those words: "luck" and "fortune" we unwittingly reinforce that understanding.

Instead of saying that someone is lucky or fortunate we should say that people are blessed. That reflects the spiritual reality behind the event. We know that every good gift is from God. So when something good happens we should speak of it as a blessing not as luck or fortune. As God's Ambassadors we should say this is a blessing, a gift from my God and King.

Another thing that shouldn't be in a Christian's speech are words of pessimism. There are some people who just seem to be able to put a pessimistic slant on anything. Once upon a time there was a man who was told that he had won a million dollars. Upon hearing this news the man became despondent. The person who brought him the good news expected him to be ecstatic so he asked the man why the man was sad. His response was, "Do you know what the taxes are on a million dollars?"

But there are situations that seem bleak to all people and sometimes we join in this perspective. Sometimes we use words like "hopeless" or "God forsaken". But if God is the Almighty then is any situation truly hopeless? If God is everywhere is there ever really a place that God has forsaken? No there isn't. God has never forsaken any person and if God had thought any person was truly hopeless then he would not have sent his Son to die for a hopeless cause.

The spiritual truth is that there is hope! So our words should offer hope. No matter how bleak a situation may be we should not give in to pessimism. Instead our words and actions should offer the hope of Jesus.

Another thing that should not be a part of a Christian's speech are words of self determination. James himself addressed this issue in Chapter 4. He wrote that we should not say things like, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there doing business and making money." As James points out we don't know if we will even be alive tomorrow or next year. We are not in charge of our own future. Only God knows.

So instead of saying "I will do this or that" we should say, "Lord willing, I will do this or that." You see most people like to think they are "Masters of their own destiny." But we know that destiny has nothing to do with it and God is the master of our future. God is the one who will determine if we can do this or that.

We may make plans but our speech should reflect God's lordship over not only our lives but all life.

Another thing that should not be a part of a Christian�s speech is racial slurs. Of course there are the obvious examples. Those offensive names that hate mongers have spread for certain racial groups. Where there is a racial prejudice, whether it is against native Americans, African Americans or Irish Americans there is an offensive name. There is no excuse for a Christian ever using those words. I don�t care if your parents or grandparents used those names and taught you to. Just because they did it doesn�t make it right. And just because they taught you to speak like that doesn�t mean you can�t unlearn that habit.

This of course includes racial jokes. I remember when I was little we used to tell Polish jokes. We didn't call them that. We had another term for them. These jokes basically made Polish people seem ignorant and unthinking. There are similar groups of jokes for just about every race of people.

I think this is what James had in mind when he spoke of people cursing "those who are made in the likeness of God." We were all made in the image of God whether we are red yellow black white male or female. When we tell a racial joke it demeans a whole group of people. Those people were created in God's image and if we curse them we are cursing God. I am sorry if I stepped on a few toes but racial slurs and humor should not be part of a Christian's speech.

Another thing that should not be part of a Christian's speech is gossip. You have heard the joke, "I don't repeat gossip so you had better listen good the first time." Well Christians shouldn't listen or tell it the first time. But what is Gossip? Webster's dictionary defines it as a "rumor or report of an intimate nature." Gossip is any rumor or tale of another person's personal life that is told because of its sensational nature. The problem is that often times the rumor is either not true or is completely out of context.

Now some Christians try to get around this by claiming that they are sharing prayer concerns. If you are truly concerned for someone then don't go telling stories about them that may or may not be completely true. Simply ask your prayer partner to pray for a friend or acquaintance of yours. They don't need to know all the details that you are privy to.

Most importantly Christians should not spread gossip because it shows no respect or love for the people involved. If we truly love our neighbor then we will respect their feelings. They probably don't want everyone to know their business. And if they do it is their place to tell everyone not yours.

James is right. The tongue is like a flame that can start a fire. But just as it can start a fire of destruction it can also be used by God to kindle the flames of the Holy Spirit. We Christians had better choose our words carefully. When we speak we will start fires. We need to be sure they are fires of God's Spirit.

Choose your words carefully. Take the time to think about what you say. See if your words truly reflect the truth of God or the lies of the devil.

But most of all use your words to proclaim the hope and love of our Heavenly Father.