The Big Lie Series

The Big Lie

Cornwall

October 30, 2004

How many of you have never, ever, lied?

The reality is that lying is something our society takes for granted. We, recently, had an election campaign, and we, as the voters, understand that political candidates lie. We expect that at least some of what they say to get elected will not be true. Of course, we’re about to see ended the ugliest American election campaign in history, and we know that all sides have told huge stories, in order to make themselves look good.

I found the following articles, about lies, in a search of the web, with the subject being ‘big lies’:

10 Big Lies of Multi-level Marketing

8 (3, 6) Washington Lies about Iraq

Big Lies: The right-wing Propaganda Machine

6 Big Lies about Sex

The 3 big lies you’ve been told about making enough money to live your dreams.

We remember past US presidents saying, “I am not a crook,” and “I did not have sex with that woman.” We remember our own past government promising to remove the GST, and that hasn’t happened.

Society doesn’t hesitate to assume lying and to throw the word ‘lie’ around. It’s rather an ugly word, but very common. Lying, sadly, has been common from the beginning of time.

Can someone tell me what is the world’s oldest profession? (Take comments). It’s gardening. After creating Adam, God put him in the Garden of Eden, with a job to do.

Gen.2.15. This was an important place in the history of the world. It’s the place where humanity experienced a lot of very big things for the first time. What are some of the first things that happened there? (naming animals, plants, beauty of nature, sex appeal, temptation, sin, and shame). One of those firsts is something we’ll call “the big lie”. Do you know what that was? It’s something that first began to influence human beings in the Garden of Eden, and has been every since.

Gen.3.1- the big lie is there. Did you catch it? What do you think the big lie is there? Here’s what it is- and remember, it has trapped people for thousands of years and has probably even trapped some of us here today.

The Big Lie is: God wants to spoil your fun!

Adam and Even were living in paradise. It was the most gorgeous, beautiful, pristine and amazing place that anyone has eve lived. It was even nicer than Cornwall! Luscious fruits and vegetables and exotic animals surrounded them. God had made them masters over the place and it was theirs to enjoy. Then, along came the serpent who said, “So what’s up? I hear God says you can’t do what you want in such a beautiful place. How do you feel about that? I think he’s holding something back form you.” Suddenly, God went from being a loving, generous Creator and Provider- to being a stingy Scrooge and killjoy. But was he really? Or- was the serpent lying?

Do you think of God as a Scrooge and killjoy? Really? A lot of people really do. They think of God and Christianity that way- they think that it is restrictive. Being a religious person means that you can’t do what you want. They think that faith limits our freedom. Do you ever thing that way? Do you think that ‘going to church gets in the way of what I want to do?’ Do you think something like, “I like church, but some of these people…I can’t stand some of these that God expects me to hang out with.” Do you think that God ought not to expect you to give to Him through His church- he limits the fun you can have as you give some money away. Do you think of how God gets in the way when you ‘really’ want to have fun? Why can’t I get drunk? Why can’t I do whatever I want? If I want to lie, then I should be able to lie. If I want to be promiscuous, then I should be allowed to be. If I want to live dirty, then I should be able to. If I want to be undisciplined, then that should be OK. I want to think about myself and getting for myself alone. Why shouldn’t I do that? Others ‘get theirs while the getting’s good, why can’t I? God gets in the way of my freedoms. Do you ever, in any way, think that way?

I know that we all do, sometimes, and we wrestle with these idea. Last week, I asked you to evaluate the drumbeat that competes with God’s drumbeat in you.

Of course you do, and so do I. There are times that we resent God and His goodness. There are times that we want to believe, and actually do, believe and act from the belief of the Big Lie.