BEST REGARDS

BEST REGARDS James 4:11-12 March 27, 2011 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introduction Three preachers were on na unproductive fishing trip when they began to discuss various topics to pass the time. One preacher said he thought it would be nice if they confessed their biggest sins to each other and then prayed for each other. They all agreed, and the first preacher said that his biggest sin was that he liked to sit at the beach now and then and watch pretty women stroll by. The second preacher confessed that his biggest sin was that he went to the horse racing track every so often and put a small bet on a horse. Turning to the third preacher, they asked, "Brother, what is your biggest sin?" With a grin, he said, "My biggest sin is gossiping, and I can hardly wait to get back to town..." Epistle of James on the subject of Speech We have already seen that the proper use of the tongue, or speech, is a theme important to James. He continually touches on the subject. So far we’ve run across three uses of speech that he condemns: Empty speech: speaking words that are religious or pious, but are not backed up by action—talking the talk without walking the walk. James 1:26-27; 2:14-18. James is adamant in his condemnation of the hypocrisy of empty speech. Impetuous speech: speaking too quickly and thoughtlessly. James 1:19 – Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James says pointedly that believers should control their tongues and not let them get out of control. James 1:26; 3:7-10. Inaccurate speech: speaking things that are just untrue. Like the person who says he has faith, but it is unaccompanied by faithful action and is thus false. By implication, James warns not many of you should presume to be teachers (3:1) and the reason is obvious. Those not gifted, not fully taught or not mature may end up teaching false doctrine to others—a recipe for disaster in the church—adding that teachers will be judged more strictly. So, empty speech, impetuous speech and inaccurate speech have all been denounced by James with apostolic authority. Now we come to a fourth kind of speech that is inappropriate for those who follow Christ: Hurtful speech, or talking in such a way as to cause harm to others. Principally, James zeroes in on slander. Let’s read our brief but powerful text for this morning James 4:11-12 – Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? What is wrong with slander goes much deeper than simply, it’s not a nice thing to do, or someone always gets hurt when slander occurs. There are two deeper issues at work when slander occurs—two deeper level sins. The first is that the slanderer is making a judgment and passing judgment on his brother at all. Epistle of James on the subject of Speech Judging your neighbor - Brothers, do not slander one another. A very simple definition of slander is to utter in the presence of another person a false statement damaging to a third person’s character or reputation. •  Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him…We should take this to mean that when we speak against our brother we, in fact, are judging him. •  Verse 12 suggests James is aghast at the arrogance of any Christian who would judge his brother: God is the one in charge of judging—But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? I was once invited to sing in a men’s quartet—seriously. When I came home and told Charlotte, she said, YOU?! That’s the force of this comment from James—If you think it is in any way appropriate for you to judge your brother, you’re way out of whack! So, that’s the first deeper sin of slander that James addresses. But there is another deeper level of sin involved in slander, besides the fact that it is wrong in and of itself, and besides the fact that when we slander we are wrongfully judging another. Judging the Law James says that if you slander your brother, you are also speaking against the law. How does the slanderer speak against the law and judge it? When I take on a role I am not authorized for, I am acting like a vigilante, taking the law into my own hands. That is not my prerogative. God is the only One who is authorized to judge people. When I step in and try to do that, I am wrong, and the law never gets accomplished. To illustrate, murder is when someone for whatever reasons says to God, even though you are the one who has the exclusive right to give and take away life, I am going to expropriate that right myself. That is at root why murder is wrong. It’s not just that someone’s life is cruelly snuffed out. The murderer seizes the exclusive right of God, and the law is rendered unimportant. When I slander another person and speak ill of him, I am saying it is not the exclusive right of God and His Law to judge; I will take it on myself. Remember, it was Jesus who said, Do not judge, or you too will be judged…why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, author of Words That Hurt, Words That Heal, has lectured throughout the country on the powerful, and often negative, impact of words. He often asks audiences if they can go 24 hours without saying any unkind words about, or to, another person. Usually some in the audience raise their hands. Others laugh, and quite a large number call out, "no!" Telushkin says: "Those who can't answer 'yes' must recognize that you have a serious problem. If you cannot go 24 hours without drinking liquor, you are addicted to alcohol. If you cannot go 24 hours without smoking, you are addicted to nicotine. Similarly, if you cannot go 24 hours without saying unkind words about others, then you have lost control over your tongue." Let me say a quick word about judging and discerning. The judging that Jesus dealt with in Matthew 7 and James deals with here in chapter 4 has more to do with “pronouncing” judgment on another person. Do not judge does not mean don’t formulate your own personal opinion about others based on what you see and hear. We do that automatically, and we could never stop that kind of discerning. In fact, we are commanded to be discerning. Just 14 verses later in the Matthew 7 passage, Jesus will tell the disciples, Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will know them… We are not being told to never make personal judgments about others personally and privately. If we were, how would you know who to buy a used car from? What would keep you from being ripped off by every huckster that comes around the corner? More to the point here, how would you know who is teaching truth and error? And when it comes to your brothers and your neighbors, you must make personal assessments of who you are dealing with in order to deal with them appropriately. But, when you speak to others about those assessments, particularly negative assessments, it is slander, and it displeases the Lord because you have sat in judgment against your neighbor and your have sat in judgment against God’s Law. Sam Chapman, founder of Empower Public Relations in Chicago, Illinois, has banned gossip in his office. Two years ago, Chapman left a larger company where office backbiting was epidemic and damaged both careers and morale. Now he calls the shots, and one of his primary rules is that if you have something to say to or about a colleague, you must say it to their face. The penalty for breaking this rule is stiff. "If you're committed to gossip," Chapman says, "you get fired." While censoring water cooler conversation was difficult at first, most Empower employees appreciate the environment honesty creates. If they must vent, they do so elsewhere. "If I still have some unresolved issues at the end of the day," says Empower executive Jayne Spottswood, "I save the drama for my mama." Conclusion I want to suggest three simple, but very effective methods for avoiding slander and the judging that comes along with it, not to mention the life-draining, church-dividing mess it makes. 1.  Truth in love. Avoid the equally ruinous extremes of brutal honesty and spineless passivity. The person who brags that s/he is always brutally honest usually enjoys the brutality far more than the honesty. But sometimes we are called upon as brothers and sisters in Christ to confront sin. We are not permitted the luxury of non-involvement. Rom. 12:14 – Bless and do not curse 2.  Never slander, always pray. Remember this principle – I should never talk about someone with others—I should rather talk about that person with God alone. (1 John 5:16) We never pray for folks we gossip about, and we never gossip about the folk for whom we pray! One more thing, we should be very careful about how we handle prayer requests and needs. Check your motives thoroughly before sharing anything at specific about someone for whom you are requesting prayer. There is in all of us a powerful tug toward gossip. Eph. 6:18 …be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 3.  Bless and encourage everyone to the best of your ability. Edify, edify, edify. Develop a habit of speaking highly about others, and soon your desire to slander or gossip will dry up. Among the charges God brought against Israel in Psalm 50:19-20 was this screed through the pen of Asaph: “You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother’s son.” Ephesians 4 enjoins us: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.     [ Back to Top]