#3–Glossitis
Numbers 12:1-15
* Dr. Ergun Caner is the president and dean of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in Lynchburg. He is the son of a devote Islamic Leaders and came to faith in Jesus Christ in 1982. Subsequently, he was disowned by his family.
* One of my favorite stories from him tells of when he began his first full-time pastorate. It was a small community church with a parsonage located in a town of 115. Ergun writes that as he walked in on that first Wednesday night, he felt prepared to become effective and lead this church. In the 3 days since they voted on him, he had read all he could find about country living. Living all of his life in urban areas, Ergun had never even had a lawn but now that he had read up on farming and farmers, he THOUGHT he was ready. However, nothing could prepare him (or anyone) for that first night.
* It was a Wednesday evening and the 5 ft marker board (where they wrote down the prayer request) was in place. Generally (so he was told), the service was divided into 2 parts. The 1st part was receiving of prayer requests and praying while the last part was a Bible Study. But tonight would be different. All was going normal with the prayers request until Doreen stood to share her request. Doreen proceeded to share a request for a woman who had a serious condition which required brain surgery. While the preacher wrote on the board and Doreen spoke of this unimaginable report, the entire room became quiet. The worse part of the story was still to be heard. Doreen, an elderly woman, seemed almost broken as she relayed that this woman’s husband waited until just before this major surgery to tell her that he was leaving her for another woman. The new pastor was in shock and even speechless when from the back of the room another elderly lady said, “Doreen, sit down and shut up!” Now, the pastor was horrified and said, “Ma’am, please allow this lady to finish her request. I would ask that we not speak to each other like this.” So Doreen attempted to finished the story when that lady in the back spoke up once again, “Doreen, if you don’t sit down & shut up, I’m going to come up there & punch you in the mouth.”
* Now the new pastor was attempting to determine what kind of church he had come to – where the ladies spoke this way and were about to fight. So, Ergun composed himself and said, “Ma’am I am not going to ask you again to not interrupt a prayer request. This is a sacred place…” Before He could finish his statement, the woman in the back said, “Preacher, that’s my sister! It ain’t no real woman, it ain’t no real husband, it ain’t no real surgery; she’s sharin’ a prayer request from her favorite soap opera she saw today.”
* Sometimes we all let our tongues run wild. We are in a series on “The Local Church; dead, dying, or dynamic” and have thus far, given an examination and spoken 3 weeks ago about Spiritual atrophy, which is a disease brought about by lack of use or activity of appropriate activity.
* Tonight let consider another disease called “Glossitis.” In the medical profession, it appears to be called Glossitis and is; “a serious medical condition that is marked by the swelling of the tongue.” In biblical terms, Dr Caner and Brunson suggest this happens when the tongue is overused and is the most prevalent disease in the body of Christ today. Furthermore, it has the potential to destroy every church body it infects.
* In a moment we will take a look at a number of texts which speak to the severity of this problem, but allow me to offer a couple of personal observations about this particular malady of the modern day church.
* In 35 years behind the pulpit, I am yet to see a church fellowship positive impacted by gossip. Winston Churchill put this in perspective when he said, “A lie can make it around the world before the truth can put on its shoes.” Lies and half-truths told by people inside the church family have wreaked more devastation than 10 bad presidents.
* In all these years, sadly, and for some reasons, God’s people have grown accustomed to it, have accepted it as the norm, and even have attempted to ignore it. Problem is, if you have cancer and simply allow yourself to accept it, get accustomed to it, or ignore it, YOU WILL DIE.
* Once again sadly, a fully-infected gossip doesn’t even realize they are doing it. This person will rationalize a way to talk and believe they are just “sharing” when the truth is, something much worse is happening.
* Let get to our text of Number 12 and study just a bit. (READ) What an incredible story! What would happen if God exacted that type of judgment on us today? Time does not permit us to be exhaustive with this subject, but lets’ touch on 3 questions; “Who, how, & what”.
1. We begin with the “WHO” question. Who can be infected with this disease? The answer is, “except for the grace of God, there I go.” Every one of us are susceptible to this disease. Let me remind you that we will read about 3 siblings, Aaron, Miriam, and their younger brother, Moses. We know about Aaron’s leadership position and I will remind you that when the Israelites came through the Red Sea, it was Miriam who took up the tambourine, danced, and led the group in praise to God for His help. Yet, it would seem that she is leading the charge.
2. Next, we consider the “HOW” question. How does this happen? How does Glossitis or gossip begin? Look at the scripture and discover that it started with what appears to be envy. Moses brought into the family a wife whom the rest did not want and now Miriam (the matriarch) seems to be getting a bit jealous of Mrs. Moses position. So instead of attacking the wife, she begins to call into question Moses’ authority to lead. Does God just talk to Moses sounds are great deal like the serpent’s question to Eve, “Did God really say..?” Truthfully, gossip always is subtle and subversive.
* It’s subtle because the “issue” is never the “issue.” Nothing really negative might be said, but with the inflexion in the voice and the tenor of the question. Additionally, gossip is born in the absence of the one who is the object. He or she can’t defend themselves or offer an explanation. One preacher flatly stated that gossips were “cowards” because they would never dream of taking their concerns to THE person they were talking about. What fun would that be?
* Gossip also grows and builds. It’s just like the old game we used to play as teenagers. What is said get changed and remade and normally goes from bad to worse.
* Gossip divides. Look at Miriam, was attempting to do, divide loyalties. In a church family (and in a family) the gossip will create an “us versus them” mentality.
* Gossip is an addict’s fix. Prov 26:20 – Once the gossip’s story “breaks”, they have a rush of satisfaction like that of a drug addict. They have a drive and need to know details.
* Gossip is a knife in a friendly hand. Prov 26:24-25. In the same way no one can make you mad unless you let them, no one can hurt your feelings without your permission. Think about this; Moses was hurt by the one who should have been closest to him, HIS SISTER.
* Let me simply give you some characteristics of a gossip with scriptural ref.
o A gossip cannot keep a secret – Prov 11:13
o A gossip derives his worth from YOUR pain – Prov 18:8 They build themselves up on the back of their target.
o A gossip is in director opposition to the Ten Commandments – Exodus 20:16 read, “Don’t give false testimony about your neighbor.”
3. Finally, the “What” question.
* What does God think about gossip? He hates it in all forms. We put people on guilt trips all the time about “God hates divorce” and He does. Never forget, that it takes 2 to have a divorce and it takes 2 to allow gossip to get started. (One to give and one to receive). Prov 6:16-19 tells us the 7 things which are detestable to the Lord. Guess what, 4 or the 7 deal with the tongue.
* What will God do about gossip? He will call you out. I love verse 4. It sounds like my dad saying, “Jerry, Golda, Mike, come here.” Those were frightening times. Can you imagine those three siblings standing in from of God? If you are his child & are guilty of gossip, I believe He will do whatever is necessary to bring you to repentance just like He did these three.
* What should we do about gossip? Let us see it like God sees it—as a danger to the body and equal to murder. Prov 16:28. Candidly, a church fellowship which has taken years to build can be destroyed in seconds by gossip.
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* Next, let’s apply Biblical principle to the gossip and the gossiper. Prov 20:19 tells us to “avoid a bigmouth” which means stay away from someone who is spreading untruth. Also, James tells us to NOT ALLOW THEM INTO POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY WITHIN THE CHURCH. James 3:1-2. Do you know why? Because a teacher can corrupt their class who can corrupt their friends who can corrupt their acquaintances who can corrupt?
* We lovingly but firmly confront it. Most people today don’t care to talk about this. In fact, I have heard that even some of our people think that sin in the church is ‘none of our business’, in other words, live and let live. Yet the Bible teaches us differently. Look at the last two verses in James. Now turn to Galatians 6:1. Now turn to 1 Corinthians 5
* After this message here is my challenge to us;
o Gossip is a disease whether we observe it or have caught it. For too long God’s people have allowed this to go on, get strong, and now called it wrong. Hearing these truths we are like a surgeon standing over a patient who desperately needs surgery. The question is will we allow the patient (the local church) to die of this curable malady or will we use the scalpel of God’s words to remove the disease part.
Thanks to Mac Brunson & Ergun Caner for their book “WHY CHURCHES DIE.” This message uses a great deal of this material from that book. Thanks Mac and Ergun.
