Toxic: The Poison of Meanness (James 3) Chris Altrock – November 18, 2012 – Sunday Morning Message

On September 26 the CDC recalled steroids from the New England Compounding Center, which formulated the drugs for patients with back and joint pain.  The steroids were tainted and led to more than 400 cases of fungal meningitis.  More than 30 people died from the infections.  Tennessee was hit the hardest with 13 deaths out of 79 cases.  Inspectors found greenish-black material floating in vials of medication, discolored equipment that was supposed to be sterile, and leaking boilers.    It was a sobering reminder of the power of toxins.  Toxins are deadly to our physical health.

 

And toxins are deadly to our spiritual health.  That is a theme in the book of James.  James is authored by James, the brother of Jesus.  And one of the themes in this letter is “pure religion.”  For example, in Jas. 1:27 James writes about “religion that is pure and undefiled.”  In some ways, the entire letter fleshes out that one verse.  James has found certain toxins threatening the spiritual lives of his readers.  His readers face the threat of a religion that is defiled and not pure.  Thus he calls his readers, and us, to purify our faith.  This series will explore some of the toxins that make our religion defiled and impure.  Last Spring, we explored the toxins which James highlights in the first half of his book.  For the next three Sundays, we’ll explore the toxins James highlights in the second half of his book.  This series will prepare us for the Outreach Contribution on Dec. 2.

 

In late October Elizabeth Evans and her four-year-old daughter Abigael were listening to a news report on the presidential campaign.  Abigael began to cry.  Here’s why: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OjrthOPLAKM

 

Regardless of your political preference you can probably identify with this four-year-old girl.  Sometimes politics makes us want to cry.  There are certainly good politicians and government is very important.  But sometimes election years find us wanting to cry.

 

I suppose there are many reasons why.  But one of those reasons, for some, is this: politics is mean-spirited.  Politics often becomes dirty.  And we just get weary of the meanness that invades some political discussions.

 

And this is nothing new.  At least one historian traces mean campaigns all the way back to John Adams v. Thomas Jefferson in the early 1800’s.[1]  Jefferson’s camp accused President Adams of having a “hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.” In return, Adams’ camp called Jefferson “a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow.” Sometimes politics gets infected with the toxin of mean-spiritedness.

 

And sometimes our churches are infected with the toxin of mean-spiritedness.  For example, some of us may know of the Westboro Baptist Church.  This faith community has held nearly 50,000 pickets/demonstrations at church buildings, military funerals and elsewhere.  Members hold up signs declaring God’s hatred of soldiers and homosexuals and others.  There’s a mean-spiritedness to their faith.

 

Some of you can identify.  You grew up in churches where it was easier to know who they stood against than it was to know what they stood for.  It was more common to hear about villains in society than heroes in Scripture.  You’ve watched churches fuss and fight and split and divide.  You’ve seen this toxin of mean-spiritedness in the church.

 

This is a toxin that seemed to be threatening the church to which James wrote.  James asks, ¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? (Jas. 3:13 ESV)  Apparently, there were some in the church claiming to have wisdom and understanding.  But that wisdom and understanding led them to act in ways that were mean-spirited: ¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. (Jas. 3:14-16 ESV)  The word “selfish ambition” was used before the New Testament to refer to the partisan zeal of divisive politicians.^[2]  James is indicating that the worst side of politics is now showing up in church.  There was a partisan spirit to some of the Christians.  It created “bitter jealously”—they wanted power and influence all for themselves.  And, some of them were “boasting”—do not boast and be false to the truth.  What they are boasting about, most likely, is that they have wisdom and understanding—and others don’t.^[3]  What we see in these verses is a church beginning to split into parties and each party boasting that they have the truth and others don’t and each party doing things that are selfish and acting in ways that are bitter and mean.

 

But, James writes, this way of doing and being church has nothing to do with heaven (it’s earthly), has nothing to do with spirituality (it’s unspiritual) and ultimately is a tool of Satan (it’s demonic).  It’s as far from the way of life God envisioned as possible.

 

God, James writes, has a much different vision of what the Christian community can be.  Rather than being mean-spirited, the church is called to be kind-hearted.  Listen to his words: ¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom…¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:13-18 ESV). The heart of James’ statement is vs. 17: ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.  James lists eight qualities which characterize a church that has a real grasp on what’s heavenly.

 

He begins with “pure”—But the wisdom from above is first pure…  This word refers to something that is free from stain.  Free from toxins.  The next seven words seem to illustrate what pure and toxin-free churches looks like:

• They are “peaceable”—rather than creating parties they seek to bring people together.  They pursue peace.
• They are “gentle”—that is, they are kind, willing to yield, and willing to bend a little.
• They are “open to reason”—the phrase literally means “easily persuaded” and refers to a church willing to hear alternative viewpoints on things that don’t touch on core convictions.
• They are “impartial” – a word meaning “without prejudice.”  This is a church that doesn’t stereotype, caricature or base conclusions on someone’s color or background.
• They are “sincere”—the word means “without hypocrisy.”  This is a church that doesn’t just put on pretense, that doesn’t just focus on what looks good or sounds good.
• And they are “full of mercy and good fruits.” James defines mercy earlier in chapter 2 as the willingness to demonstrate love toward others in concrete ways.

 

James is saying that you can tell a church gets it when what it believes, the wisdom and understanding it claims to possess, gets translated not into criticism of others, but into compassion; not into stereotyping others, but into serving; not into meanness toward others, but into mercy; not into toughness with others, but into tenderness; not into drawing lines but into extending hands.

 

One way of summarizing this is with the word “kind-hearted.”  The church, James writes, is not to be infected with the toxin of mean-spiritedness.  It is, instead, to have a reputation for being kind-hearted.

 

Listen to this alternative translation of James’ words: Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.  Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. (Jas. 3:13-18 The Message)  The church is called not to be mean-spirited, but kind-hearted.

 

Highland’s Outreach Contribution provides a venue for us to be kind-hearted This Outreach Contribution, held on Dec. 2 and again next spring, funds Highland’s 22 ministries to the needy, the nations and our neighbors.

• It makes possible ministries to the needy like 1) LaRose Elementary—a downtown school we’ve adopted; 2) Raleigh Community Church—a church plant in north Memphis which we support;  3) Agape Child and Family Services—an organization blessing children and families in the Mid-South; 4) Families in Transition—a ministry we helped start to provide resources to homeless and pregnant women; 5) HopeWorks—an organization which provides training and empowerment to the unemployed; 6) Lifeline—a ministry to those who come directly to Highland with financial needs; and 7) Home/Member Services—a ministry which helps Highland members who have financial needs.
• It makes possible ministries to the nations like the 1) Melanesian Bible College in Papua New Guinea which trains church leaders/ministers and helps start new churches; 2) the ministry of Nathan and Karen Luther in the Philippines who work with the Shiloh Christian School and numerous congregations; 3) the Ministry of Theological Education which helps equip church leaders in mission churches; 4) the Ukrainian Education Center—a ministry to students and young adults in Kiev; 5) the Bila Tserkva Church of Christ which Highland helped start; 6) World Bible School—which teaches the Bible to interested people around the world; 7) Harding School of Theology which trains church planters, missionaries and other Christian leaders; and 8) funds for a new global missions work which we are currently praying about.
• It makes possible ministries to our neighbors like 1) Macon Hall Elementary—a local school we’ve adopted; 2) LeBonheur Children’s Hospital where we’ve adopted the NICU; 3) Soma—the campus ministry at the University of Memphis; 4) Tennessee Children’s Home; 5) Paragould Children’s Home; 6) Sunnybrook Children’s Home; and 7) Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch.

Through these ministries and others like them, Highland seeks to be the community James writes about—a community with a reputation not for mean-spiritedness but kind heartedness.   By giving $190,000 on December 2, you’ll make that possible.

 

This morning we have the privilege of hearing about one of these ministries—the Melanesian Bible College in Papua New Guinea.  Earlier this year Larry McKenzie, longtime Highland staff member, travelled to Papua New Guinea.  We’ve asked him to take a few moments to share highlights about this ministry with us.

 

On December 2, we are asking you to give $190,000 toward these 22 ministries.  That’s about 6 times what you give on an average Sunday.  It’s going to require sacrifice.  But your gift on that day is what makes these ministries possible.  Your gift will be part of what allows Highland to move closer to a budget in which 50% of the contributed funds are used for outreach.  This is one of our Vision 2018 goals.  That’s why we’ve increased the Outreach Contribution by more than $40,000 over last fiscal year.  We believe God wants to increase Highland’s kind-heartedness.  This contribution is one of the ways that happens.