Ole is the Pastor of the local Norwegian Lutheran Church and Pastor Sven is the minister of the Swedish Covenant Church across the road.
One day, they are seen pounding a sign into the ground which said:
DA END ISS NEAR!
TURN YERSELF AROUNT NOW
BAFOR IT ISS TOO LATE!
As a car speeds past them, the driver leans out his window and yells, “Leave people alone, you Skandihoovian religious nuts!”
From the curve they heard screeching tires and a big splash.
Shakin’ his head, Rev. Ole says, “Dat’s da terd one dis mornin’.”
“Yaa,” Pastor Sven agrees, then asks, “Do ya tink maybe da sign should yust say, ‘Bridge Out?'”
People have heard prophets and preachers give warnings for millennia. Sadly, many have chosen to ignore those warnings only to discover the bridge is out. They often label the messengers as “religious nuts.” But too often we ignore their warnings to our own detriment.
Likewise, too often it is the pastor or teacher who does not render the message in a way that is understandable to the listener. High and lofty language obscures basic truths and garbles the message.
Are you communicating as clearly as you think you are?
In James 3, through the apostle, God warns those who want to be teachers of the Word of God.
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. (James 3:1, ESV)
It is common to hold people with certain professions to a higher standard than the average person in society. We expect police officers, for example, to obey the law, and when they don’t, we are critical and expect the legal system to exact justice on our behalf.
James tells us that those who want to speak on God’s behalf will be held to a higher standard.
He goes on to compare the human tongue, the instrument by which we speak, to the bit used to guide a horse, the rudder of a ship, which is small in comparison to the size of the ship but determines which way the ship will sail, and a fire that can destroy a whole forest. Living in the Western U.S., I can tell you that hundreds, and at times thousands, of acres can be destroyed by a carelessly discarded cigarette butt or a spark from a piece of machinery.
How can we avoid that stricter judgment as leaders who are chosen to speak?
- Stay humble and teachable. Popular Bible teachers and pastors run the risk of thinking they are “all that” when people praise their speaking and teaching abilities. In fact their gifts for teaching and speaking are from the Lord and should be used for his glory. In addition, we need to allow others to speak into our lives. Ask a trusted friend how to improve and be teachable enough to learn from them when they are honest with us.
- Walk closely with the Lord on a daily basis. Being a Christian is a relationship with the Living God. We need to hear from him and communicate with him regularly.
- Stay grounded in the solid message of God’s Word. We can avoid the problems James warns us about if we remain faithful to the Bible’s clear teaching. Just because somebody is teaching the Bible on the radio doesn’t mean they are automatically accurate. Teach your listeners to be discerning. Every one of us who seeks to teach the Bible will have to give an answer for the messages we bring. It is our responsibility to steer our hearers into a life that will glorify God by living according to his will, as revealed in his Word.
Be careful. Watch what you are teaching. Ask the Lord to reveal the areas of your life and teaching where your compass is off. And point your listeners to a biblical walk with the Lord.