Little Things

        Here's a burning question I'm sure is on everyone's mind right now. How many angels can dance of the head of a pin?

You may have heard that phrase used as a metaphor for wasting time debating topics of no practical value or consequence. 'This company is hemorrhaging money while you sit around debating how many angels can dance on the head of a pin!' It's become a rhetorical illustration for focusing on something that really doesn't matter all that much.

Ironically enough - scholars actually argue the origin of that phrase; whether it was used to mock pointless medieval intellectual debate or whether it has a basis in true philosophical discussion.

I want to talk about something this morning that may or may not seem like a big deal. And I don't necessarily expect that everyone here will agree with me, but I am hoping to change your perspective a bit. What I want us to look at this morning is...

I. Our words

We say 'sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me'. But the reality is - words do hurt. Words are deceptively powerful little things. Just the right 'kind words' can absolutely make your day, but other times words can really tear you down - they can do damage. Words mean things. Words convey ideas and concepts and emotions. How we use 'language' and words is a big deal. The Apostle Paul wrote this to the Church in Ephesus, in Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)...

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.

Our words are powerful and should be used to build others up and to benefit those who listen. Based on that general criteria - are all of your words used to build others up, and do any of them fall into the category of 'unwholesome talk'? And that's a pretty broad category that can cover a lot of things - gossip, 'off color humor' and, of course...

A. Profanity

'Profanity' refers to a lack of respect for things that are held to be sacred, which implies anything deserving of reverence.

Is swearing, cursing, cussing, crass words or jokes - is it such an awful thing for a Christian? I mean, they're just words. - But words mean things. Words are powerful. I've heard adults who say something like, "Kids today have bigger issues they deal with and I don't want to lecture them about swearing - it's just not that big a deal." Or, "Where I work it just goes along with the territory." - I find it interesting that even a non-Christian movie ratings board deems some language to be 'inappropriate for children'. Why? They're just words...

Are there some words which you think would be 'inappropriate' for me to use in a message on a Sunday morning? Are there some words, that if I blurted them out right now, they'd make you cringe a bit, or worse? Of course, and it's because we inherently know the power of what we call 'swear words'. But if those words would be unacceptable on a Sunday morning, why are they okay to use in the parking lot, at work, at home, when you're driving and someone cuts you off?

And do we adopt a 'double standard'? If those words wouldn't be acceptable coming from the preacher - then why would they be okay if you use them? Does God hold your language to a lower standard than mine? And what about a phrase that our society throws around so amazingly casually? - "Oh my God!" How does God feel about that? We do have recorded in scripture where God tells His people this in Exodus 20:7 (NIV)...

You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

And there's more to this passage in context which I'll mention shortly - but when scripture says not to 'misuse' God's name or to take His name 'in vain' - where does all of this fall in the category of 'unwholesome talk' or words used to build others up? Taking God's name 'in vain' means to use His name in a 'worthless' or 'empty way'.

'Really preacher, you're going to spend time in 2021 nitpicking on this when there are other, bigger fish to fry? Today is Halloween, there's plenty of evil in the world, we're still struggling through a worldwide pandemic, and on and on. Aren't there...'

B. Bigger issues...?

There are a lot of big spiritual issues on which to speak. Why pick on people's words?

I read an article from a Christian blogger who did a Bible study on swearing and using God's name in vain. He pointed out the cultural understanding and religious practices of the time. He noted the Jewish tradition of respecting God's name so much that they wouldn't speak it aloud and replaced it in their writings with "Adonai" or 'Lord'.

And then he wrote regarding modern people's use of the term 'God' in swearing or in the phrase "Oh my God". He wrote, "God" is not the name of God, but a common phrase used to refer to deities in general. So how can a generic classification be considered a formal name? It would be like you saying that my name is "person" and then being offended when someone says, "Oh my person!"

Well, while he did make some good academic points, I was surprised how casually he dismissed swearing and the phase "Oh my God" as just words. But I was really bothered by the comments his article received. Many wrote things like, "So glad you spoke the truth to small minded Christians", others wrote "This was so refreshing and freeing", and "I wish many more Christians would stop 'straining out gnats but swallowing camels'. Basically they were all in agreement that swearing and the phrase "Oh my God" is completely harmless.

Now, while I do agree that there are a lot of big issues out there - I don't know that I can buy into the idea that God simply doesn't care about 'the little things'; that God is okay with whatever we do as long as we do more good than bad. And, if you look up the context of the phrase that many commenter's used, 'straining gnats but swallowing camels', you'll find it in this passage spoken by Jesus as recorded in Matthew 23:23-24 (NIV)...

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. (24) You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Many people take this as judging the Pharisees for meticulously focusing on the little things, those things that don't really matter. But Jesus wasn't upset with them for focusing on something so small as tithing on their spices. Jesus was upset with them because that was all they were doing. He didn't tell them to stop the 'small thing' of 'tithing on their spices'. He wanted them to do both - focus on the small things AND the big things.

To use the analogy - Jesus wasn't encouraging the Pharisees to ignore the 'gnats'. Jesus wanted them to acknowledge both the big things as well as the little things. Just because we can rationalize our language as a 'little thing' in comparison to adultery or murder doesn't mean that we're supposed to get comfortable 'swallowing gnats'. And our words may not be as little a thing as we like to think. Our words are...

II. An overflow of the heart

Perhaps our 'little words' are an indicator of something larger? Your words are a reflection of what is in your heart. Jesus said in Luke 6:43-45 (NIV)...

No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. (44) Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. (45) The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

We can say that words are just little things - but words, how we use words, casually or intentionally to build others up - the words we say show what is in our hearts. If we speak coarsely, if we tell 'dirty jokes', if we use words that would be frowned upon in a Church service - what does that say about our heart?

If we believe 'God doesn't really care about small things like cussing or modern casual expressions' - if we don't treat God's 'title' as God (capital G) as something special - what might that say about our relationship with God?

And we can say words are small things - but sin always starts in the heart, it starts small. Committing full blown adultery started as lust in the mind. Murder started as harsh words and thoughts. The very first act of sin started with the simple desire to take a bite of forbidden fruit. Does God care about 'small things'?

Our words may demonstrate how we perceive God and what we believe He wants for us. Is God just giving us an arbitrary list of 'do's' and 'don'ts' to check off - or does God desire something deeper? What does our 'choice of words' say about our relationship with God? Do people hear your words and see someone who is trying to please their Creator? Or do they see a person who chooses to say whatever they want but then still be considered a Christian on Sunday?

How we choose our words may reveal the depth of our...

A. Submission to God

I don't want this to be seen simply as 'nitpicking', as being a Pharisee and putting extra burdens on anyone - that's not my goal. But if someone challenges me and says, "I can be a Christian and still swear or still say 'Oh my God'". Yes, you can. I don't have the authority to tell anyone they aren't a Christian. - But what does your use of language tell you about your submission to God? Are you willing to surrender most things to God, but how you choose to speak - that's your own business?

James 3:5-12 (NIV)

Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. (6) The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. (7) All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, (8) but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

(9) With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. (10) Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. (11) Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? (12) My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

If we are going to see ourselves as people who follow Jesus, as completely surrendered to God - we have to learn to surrender our words as well. We have to give God control of everything, not out of response to a command - but born of a desire to please Him, to serve Him, to honor Him with everything we do and say. - And please don't look at this as me preaching against those 'bad people who swear'. That's not it at all. In fact, since context is everything, let's look at a passage that James wrote right before the passage we just read...

James 3:2 (NIV)

We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

We all stumble, all. None of us is perfect - but just because we all stumble doesn't mean that stumbling is something we should just accept. We need to call sin 'sin' - whether that makes us guilty or not. God doesn't expect us to be perfect, but He also doesn't want us to just 'be good' - better than average. What God wants for us...

B. God desires Holiness

And that's a pretty high bar...

In reading through the Old and New Testaments, there are clear differences between what was revealed about God and His character. And it's plain to see - while God definitely deals with sin differently from the Old to the New - how He feels about sin doesn't seem to change.

In the Old Testament we see long lists of regulations that people had to follow to be considered ceremonially clean. They had to do certain things spelled out very clearly in a certain way in order to enter into God's presence. And we see this passage in Leviticus 10:1-3 (NIV)...

Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. (2) So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. (3) Moses then said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke of when he said: 'Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.'" Aaron remained silent.

That account demonstrates how seriously God takes holiness - how seriously God dealt with people in the Old Testament who didn't give Him the proper respect. Now - we're not under the Old law, we don't have to worry about God sending fire down to consume us if we say the wrong words. - But do we approach God with the respect that He deserves? Do we respect His name, His title, everything about Him - do we treat God with respect, or do we treat Him casually as demonstrated by our words? And what does 'what we say', the words we use with those 'created in God's image' say about our commitment to holiness?

Although the covenant changed from one of law in the Old Testament to one of grace in the New - Jesus never lowered the bar of expectations for God's children. Jesus didn't lower the expectation of holiness.

1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV)

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; (16) for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

So What?

I'm not up here talking about this subject just to convince you to stop a 'bad habit'. I'm not even necessarily preaching against swearing, but I am preaching to encourage purity in speech, to encourage you to strive for holiness. And again, this is not in some sort of puritanical, law driven guilt based way. This can't be about 'self righteousness' as if avoiding bad words will get you to Heaven. This is about encouraging you to do everything in your power to get closer to God.

This is all about your relationship with God. In your words - are you trying to see what you can get away with and still be acceptable as a Christian - or - are you using even your everyday words to try to build others up and to please your Creator? Choose your words carefully as you try to influence others for Jesus. Use your words in such a way as to draw others to Him!