I PETER 3:13-22 | YOU DON’T HAVE TO YELL

“YOU DON’T HAVE TO YELL”

I PETER 3:13-22

MAY 21, 2017

EVERYONE YELLS.

PERHAPS I SHOULDN’T SAY THAT QUITE SO DEFINITIVELY, SINCE I’VE NOT WITNESSED, PERSONALLY, EVERYONE IN THE WORLD YELLING…

AND IT MIGHT BE KIND OF HARD TO IMAGINE, SAY, THE POPE YELLING; OR MOTHER TERESA; OR MR. ROGERS, IN HIS DAY;

BUT I’M STICKING WITH MY GENERALIZATION – EVERYONE YELLS.

SOMETIMES, WE ARE THE YELL-ER; SOMETIMES, WE ARE THE YELL-EE; MOST TIMES, I SUPPOSE, WE ARE A LITTLE OF BOTH.

THERE’S GOOD YELLING – CHEERING ON YOUR FAVORITE TEAM; ENCOURAGING YOUR CHILD ATHLETE OR RECENT GRADUATE; WELCOMING WOUNDED WARRIORS ON THEIR RIDE INTO TOWN.

I HAD A GROOM RECENTLY YELL “WAHOO!” AT MY PRONOUNCING THEM HUSBAND AND WIFE – EVEN BEFORE HE KISSED HER!

THERE’S BAD YELLING – YOU SEE A LOT OF THAT AROUND BALLPARKS, AT SPORTING EVENTS – IN PERSON AND AT HOME; THERE’S YELLING AT THE OFFICIALS; YELLING AT THE OPPONENTS; EVEN THOSE WHO YELL AT THEIR OWN KIDS AND OTHER PEOPLE’S KIDS, INSTEAD OF CHEERING FOR THEM.

YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THE EDITORIAL CARTOON IN THIS PAST MONDAY’S KEY WEST CITIZEN – SPECTATORS AND A PLAYER YELLING AND CURSING AT EACH OTHER – WITH A CHILD SITTING THERE LISTENING TO MUSIC ON HIS CELL PHONE WITH EARPHONES;

THE CAPTION READ: “YOU KNOW, I’M ACTUALLY KIND OF GLAD THAT ALL HE DOES WHEN WE’RE AT THE BALLPARK IS LISTEN TO MUSIC ON HIS CELL PHONE.”

THERE’S YELLING AS A RESULT OF FIGHTING WITH THOSE WE LOVE, AND YELLING THAT CAUSES FIGHTS WITH THOSE WE LOVE.  THERE’S SPOUSAL YELLING; PARENTAL YELLING; AND TEENAGE REBELLING YELLING.

PREACHERS YELL – EVEN WHEN WE DON’T REALLY MEAN TO, AND SOMETIMES WHEN WE DO.  THE FELLOW WHO PREACHED AT PRESBYTERY SEEMED TO BE YELLING A LOT OF HIS SERMON, THOUGH I DON’T THINK HE MEANT TO.

THERE’S ALSO PROTECTIVE YELLING – LIKE WHEN A PARENT YELLS TO KEEP THEIR CHILD FROM RUNNING INTO THE STREET; OR A LIFEGUARD YELLS TO PEOPLE GETTING TOO FAR FROM SHORE;

OR PEOPLE FIGHTING FOR A CAUSE IN WHICH THEY BELIEVE, TO WARN OTHERS OF THE DANGERS OF A WAY OF THINKING, ACTING, FAILING TO ACT, ETC.

THIS KIND OF YELLING CAN QUICKLY DEVOLVE INTO MORE YELLING, WHEN PEOPLE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF AN ISSUE STOP YELLING FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN, AND START YELLING AT EACH OTHER.

I COULD BE WRONG ABOUT THIS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE YELLING USED TO BE RESERVED FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT MATTERS; THE HAPPIEST OF TIMES; THE MOST CRUCIAL MOMENTS; TO SAVE AND PROTECT.

NOW, YELLING IS UBIQUITOUS; IT’S EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME.

I BLAME 24 HOUR NEWS CHANNELS.  I BLAME THE PUNDITS AND THE POLITICIANS.  I BLAME THE PREACHERS AND THE ADVERTISING FIRMS.

I BLAME THOSE INFOMERCIALS WHERE THEY YELL THE ENTIRE TIME THEY ARE TRYING TO SELL YOU SOMETHING – EVEN WHEN THEY’RE JUST DEMONSTRATING THEIR PRODUCT!

“LOOK AT THAT SHINE!  YOU CAN’T GET A SHINE LIKE THAT WITH AN ORDINARY RAG!  ONLY A SHAMWOW CAN GIVE YOU A SHINE LIKE THAT!!”

“HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT?!  YOU CAN COOK A WHOLE TURKEY IN UNDER 30 MINUTES!!  AND IT’LL BE BROWN AND JUICY LIKE YOU WON’T BELIEVE!  AND DID WE SAY IT?!  NO BASTING!  NO BASTING!!  EVER!!”

YELLING USED TO BE IMPORTANT, NOW IT IS JUST ORDINARY; EVERYWHERE; ALL THE TIME; AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THE VOLUME GETS LOUDER; THE CLAIMS MORE STRIDENT; THE SIDES MORE INTRACTABLE.

WE’VE STOPPED LISTENING TO EACH OTHER, JUST WAITING FOR OUR CHANCE TO YELL BACK.  YELLING BEGETS YELLING.  WE ALL KNOW THAT.

YELLING AMPS UP THE SITUATION, THE PEOPLE, THE PARTIES, THE OPPOSITION, THE SIDES – UNTIL EVERYONE IS YELLING, AND NOBODY IS LISTENING.

I BLAME US.

WE ARE GOING TO LISTEN TO A SONG BY SINGER/SONGWRITER CHRIST RICE AT THE END OF MY SERMON THAT CAPTURES MUCH OF WHAT I’M SAYING HERE.  THE SONG IS ENTITLED: “YOU DON’T HAVE TO YELL.”

SPEAKING OF WHICH, KAREN AND I SPENT SOME TIME AT SEVERAL OF THE VENUES FOR LAST WEEK’S SONGWRITER’S FESTIVAL – THERE WERE A LOT OF “YELLING SONGS” – ESPECIALLY AMONG THE COUNTRY MUSICIANS.

I DON’T THINK IT’S JUST BECAUSE WE’RE GETTING OLDER – EVEN A COUPLE OF THE MUSICIANS WERE KIDDING EACH OTHER ABOUT REALLY “GRINDING ON A SONG” AND “MAYBE, YOU SHOULD SING THAT SONG A LITTLE LOUDER, WITH A LITTLE MORE FEELING.”

ONE SUCH SONGWRITER HAPPENED TO BE DAVID KENNEDY, THE SON OF THE UPPER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AT THE SCHOOL OUR CHILDREN ATTENDED.  OUR KIDS WERE IN SCHOOL WITH DAVID.  A SMALL WORLD, INDEED!

I WANT YOU TO KNOW – I DO HAVE A POINT TO ALL OF THIS – A RELIGIOUS POINT – AND I’M ABOUT TO GET THERE – BUT I WANTED US TO BE THINKING ABOUT ALL THE TIMES WE YELL;

OR ARE EXPOSED TO YELLING; WHEN WE ARE THE YELL-ER, AND WHEN WE ARE THE YELL-EE.

NOW, COMPARE THAT TO THE WORDS WE READ A MOMENT AGO IN I PETER.

THE AUTHOR IS WRITING ABOUT DOING GOOD; ABOUT DOING THE RIGHT THING; EVEN WHEN “WE MAY SUFFER FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING,” THE AUTHOR TELLS US, “WE ARE BLESSED.”

“DO NOT FEAR WHAT THEY FEAR, AND DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED, BUT IN YOUR HEARTS, SANCTIFY CHRIST AS LORD.”

“DO NOT FEAR… DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED…” AS I THINK ABOUT IT, A LOT OF YELLING SEEMS TO HAVE THOSE TWO THINGS IN COMMON; A LOT OF YELLING IS MEANT TO INSTILL FEAR AND TO INTIMIDATE.

AND IT WORKS!  AND BECAUSE IT WORKS, PEOPLE ARE DOING IT MORE AND MORE.

BUT THE AUTHOR OF I PETER SUGGESTS THAT AS BELIEVERS, WE SHOULD RESPOND, AND ACT, DIFFERENTLY.

NOT THAT WE ARE TO BE ALL NAMBY-PAMBY ABOUT IT; THAT WE LIE DOWN; THAT WE LET PEOPLE WALK ALL OVER US; THAT WE ARE ANYONE AND EVERYONE’S DOORMAT.

“ALWAYS BE READY TO MAKE YOUR DEFENSE TO ANYONE WHO DEMANDS FROM YOU AN ACCOUNTING OF THE HOPE THAT IS IN YOU;” THE AUTHOR SAYS.

ISN’T IT INTERESTING THAT THE AUTHOR OF I PETER EXPECTS THAT BELIEVERS WILL BE TAKEN TO TASK FOR “THE HOPE” THAT IS IN US?

A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T LIKE TO SEE OTHERS “TOO HOPEFUL,” “TOO HAPPY,” TOO CHEERFUL.”

AND WHEN WE ARE, THERE ARE THOSE WHO WANT TO BELITTLE US; BRING US DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL; DRAG US INTO THEIR SADNESS AND DISSATISFACTION.

AND HERE’S THE PART THAT HAS TO DO WITH YELLING – LISTEN TO WHAT I PETER SAYS WE SHOULD DO WHEN WE DEFEND OURSELVES:

“YET DO IT WITH GENTLENESS AND REVERENCE.  KEEP YOUR CONSCIENCE CLEAR, SO THAT, WHEN YOU ARE MALIGNED (YELLED AT!), THOSE WHO ABUSE YOU FOR YOUR GOOD CONDUCT IN CHRIST, MAY BE PUT TO SHAME.”

IT’S WHAT JESUS CALLED, “HEAPING BURNING COALS UPON THEIR HEADS.”

THE LOUDER THEY GET, THE MORE THEY YELL, THE MORE THEY ATTACK…

THE KINDER, QUIETER, MORE REVERENT WE SHOULD BE.

STICK TO YOUR BELIEFS, DEFEND YOUR POSITION, TAKE YOUR STAND, BUT DO SO “WITH GENTLENESS AND REVERENCE;” “HEAPING BURNING COALS;” “PUTTING THEM TO SHAME.”

YELLING BEGETS YELLING – SURPRISE THEM – INSTEAD OF YELLING BACK, REMAIN CALM, PRACTICE GENTLENESS AND REVERENCE, AND WITH PATIENCE, EXPLAIN AND DEFEND YOUR POSITION.

HERE’S HOW THE AUTHOR OF I PETER SAYS IT: “FOR IT IS BETTER TO SUFFER FOR DOING GOOD, IF SUFFERING SHOULD BE GOD’S WILL, THAN TO SUFFER FOR DOING EVIL.”

WE DON’T HAVE TO YELL.  I KNOW WE WANT TO; I KNOW I WANT TO, AT TIMES; BUT WE DON’T HAVE TO.

AS YOU WILL HEAR IN CHRIS RICE’S SONG: BETTER THAT WE TAKE A BREATH, A STEP BACK, COUNT TO TEN, CLEAR YOUR MIND, AND START AGAIN.

THE SONG IS QUICK TO SAY, JUST AS OUR PASSAGE FOR THIS MORNING DOES, THAT THERE ARE THINGS WORTH FIGHTING FOR; PLACES WHERE WE DRAW THE LINE; TIMES WHEN WE TAKE A STAND;

BUT LOUDER DOESN’T MAKE US RIGHT.

IN THAT SAME MONDAY EDITION OF THE KEY WEST CITIZEN, IN THE COMICS, THERE WAS THE DAILY STRIP FOR MORT WALKER’S BEETLE BAILEY;

AND SARGE; WHO, IF YOU FOLLOW THE STRIP, YOU KNOW, DOES A LOT OF YELLING AT BEETLE BAILEY.

IN THE FIRST PANEL SARGE IS SAYING TO BEETLE: “WE NEED TO TALK.”  AND BEETLE RESPONDS, “WHAT KIND?  MAN, TO MAN, FATHER TO SON, TEACHER TO PUPIL?”

IN THE SECOND PANEL SARGE RESPONDS, “SARGE TO BEETLE;” “THAT’S NEVER A TALK,” BEETLE RESPONDS, “THAT’S A TIRADE!”

THERE ARE THOSE TIMES, THOSE PEOPLE, THOSE SITUATIONS, THOSE SIDES, IN WHICH EVERYTHING IS A TIRADE; AND THEY ARE HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY, MORE VOCIFEROUSLY, MORE UBIQUITOUSLY;

ALL THE TIME, EVERY TIME, AROUND THE CLOCK, AROUND THE WORLD;

AND LOTS OF US ARE YELLING, AND MANY OF US ARE NOT LISTENING.

“LOUDER DOESN’T MAKE YOU RIGHT.”

I KNOW WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME AS BELIEVERS, AS CHRISTIANS, AS PEOPLE OF FAITH, ASKING YOU TO BE THE BIGGER PERSON; TO STEP BACK, TAKE A BREATH, COUNT TO TEN, CLEAR YOUR MIND, AND START AGAIN.

I KNOW IT ALWAYS SEEMS LIKE PEOPLE OF FAITH ARE ASKED TO MAKE THE FIRST MOVE TOWARD RECONCILIATION; TO SPEAK REVERENTLY AND RESPECTFULLY; TO FORGIVE; TO BE THE CALMING INFLUENCE; THE RATIONAL ONES; THE PEACEMAKERS.

AND IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, YOU KNOW THAT SOMETIMES, WE DON’T FEEL LIKE DOING THAT.  WE FEEL LIKE THAT DOES NOTHING BUT GIVE PEOPLE PERMISSION TO WALK ALL OVER US.

“NICE GUYS FINISH LAST.”

“WHY DO WE ALWAYS HAVE TO BE THE ONES TO BACK DOWN?”  “WHY DO WE ALWAYS HAVE TO BE THE VOICE OF REASON?”  “WHY DO WE HAVE TO COMPROMISE?  MAKE CONCESSIONS?  DO THE RIGHT THING?  FORGIVE?  BE THE GOOD GUYS?”

BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT WE SIGNED UP FOR.  THAT’S WHAT IT MEANS, TRULY MEANS, TO BE A CHRISTIAN, AND TO ACT IN CHRIST LIKE WAYS.

IT REALLY IS – WHAT JESUS WOULD DO.

“ALWAYS BE READY TO MAKE YOUR DEFENSE TO ANYONE WHO DEMANDS FROM YOU AN ACCOUNTING FOR THE HOPE (THE HOPE!) THAT IS IN YOU; YET DO IT WITH GENTLENESS AND REVERENCE.

KEEP YOUR CONSCIENCE CLEAR, SO THAT, WHEN YOU ARE MALIGNED, (YELLED AT!) THOSE WHO ABUSE YOU FOR YOUR GOOD CONDUCT IN CHRIST, MAY BE PUT TO SHAME.”

HEAP BURNING COALS.

“FOR IT IS BETTER TO SUFFER FOR DOING GOOD… THAN TO SUFFER FOR DOING EVIL.”

BESIDES, IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD, THOSE “NICE GUYS WHO FINISH LAST…?

“THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST,” JESUS SAYS.

THE VIDEO I’M ABOUT TO PLAY ISN’T MUCH OF A VIDEO, BUT IT WAS THE ONLY ONE I COULD FIND OF CHRIS RICE SINGING YOU DON’T HAVE TO YELL.

SINCE THERE’S NOTHING TO SEE HERE, I INVITE YOU TO LISTEN, AND TO READ ALONG WITH THE LYRICS WHICH WE PRINTED AS AN INSERT IN THIS MORNING’S BULLETIN.

So called reality right there on my TV
If that’s how life’s supposed to be
Well, somebody’s lyin’
The camera’s on and we can tell
To keep your fame you have to yell

‘Cause tensions build and products sell
And we’re all buyin’
I hope we’re smarter than this

Everybody take a breath
Why are all your faces red?
We’re missin’ all the words you said
You don’t have to yell

Draw your lines and choose your side
?Cause many things are worth the fight
But louder doesn’t make you right
You don’t have to yell, oh
You don’t have to yell

I tuned in to hear the news
I don’t want your point of view
If that’s the best that you can do
Then something’s missin’

And experts on whatever side
You plug your ears, you scream your lines
You claim to have an open mind
But nobody’s listenin’
Don’t you think we’re smarter than this?

Everybody take a breath
Why are all your faces red
We’re missin’ all the words you said
You don’t have to yell

Draw your lines and choose your side
Many things are worth the fight
But louder doesn’t make you right
You don’t have to yell
You don’t have to yell

Everybody take a breath
Why are all your faces red
We’re missin’ all the words you said
You don’t have to yell

If everyone will take the step
Back away and count to ten
Clear your mind and start again
We won’t have to yell

Draw your lines and choose your side
Many things are worth the fight
But louder doesn’t make you right
You don’t have to yell
You don’t have to yell