For a CD of over 100 of sermons by Darrell Stetler II (most complete with handouts), please e-mail darrellstetler2@sbcglobal.net.
“A salesman knocked on the door of a house. The mother didn’t want to talk to the guy, so she told her little boy to tell him she couldn’t come to the door because she was in the hot tub. Her son answered the door this way; ‘We ain’t got no hot tub, but Mom told me to tell you she’s in it.’” [adapted from Tales of the Tardy Oxcart, p. 344]
ILLUS: On a beautiful fall day, four of my granddaughter’s friends decided to go for a drive instead of showing up to class on time. When they did arrive, the girls explained to the teacher they had had a flat tire. The teacher accepted the excuse, much to the girls’ relief. "Since you missed this morning’s quiz, you must take it now," she said. "Please sit in the four corner seats in this room without talking." When they were seated, the teacher said, "On your paper write the answer to one question: ’Which tire was flat?’”-- Clara Null, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Christian Reader, "Lite Fare."
ILLUS: In the July 15, 1993 Boardroom Reports, Peter LeVine writes: "When the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey ran a help-wanted ad for electricians with expertise at using Sontag connectors, it got 170 responses--even though there is no such thing as a Sontag connector. The Authority ran the ad to find out how many applicants falsify resumes." -- Leadership, Vol. 15, no. 1.
To prevent this problem in one church, the “minister wound up the services one morning by saying, "Next Sunday I am going to preach on the subject of LIARS. And in this connection, I would like you all to read the 17th chapter of Mark." The next Sunday, the preacher rose to begin, and said, "Now, all of you who have done as I requested and read the 17th chapter of Mark, please raise your hands." Nearly every hand in the congregation went up. "Very good," said the preacher. "You are precisely the people I wish to speak to this morning. There IS no 17th chapter of Mark!"” – Bible Illustrator.
On a scale of 1-10, how bad is lying? (10 is really bad.)
Do you have a number in mind? Good. Now, how many had it between 1 and 5? How about between 5 and 10? Here’s my point:
Most people would rank murder between 5 and 10. Most people wouldn’t rank lying there, because lying is more common, right? Everyone tells lies now and then – at least that’s what they say!
But the purpose of my preaching is to get our minds on God’s page – if your thinking is different than God’s, you need to change yours, not his!
Lying is not looked at as all that serious in our culture. If a government official does it, then the ones on the other side will call for his resignation. Other than that, it’s not really considered a big deal. In fact, a lot of people consider it helpful and good! Just listen to these quotes:
A degree of lying - you know, white lies - seems to be inherent in all languages and all forms of communication.
Matthew Lesko
Lying increases the creative faculties, expands the ego, and lessens the frictions of social contacts.
Clare Boothe Luce
Lying is the most simple form of self-defence.
Susan Sontag
Honesty is the best policy - when there is money in it.
Mark Twain
Honesty is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty.
Plato
How serious is lying?
Consider how serious lying would be in the following situations:
Firestone official: “The tires that you are riding on are safe.”
Trial witness: “I saw Brandon Sweeden with the group that robbed the bank Friday night.”
Airplane mechanic: “The engine you saw me working on will last through your entire flight.”
Groom: “I will be faithful to you alone until death.”
Sure, these are serious. But
God considers lying a very serious matter regardless of whether the consequences of that lie are immediate and deadly or not.
There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19 (NIV)
When someone asks you on Sunday morning how you are doing, you say “Fine”.Sunday mornings, that morning that we’re supposed to be the most spiritual, is in reality the day that we lie the most. We put on our nice clothes to hide the sin that is inside. We plaster on a fake smile to hide the heart that is breaking. We answer, “I’m just fine” to people when they ask us how we are doing even though our life may be falling apart.
Why is that? Maybe we’re scared that no one cares, that no one has the time, or that someone would reject us if they really knew what was going on inside our hearts. The Bible doesn’t speak of church as a place where perfect people come to congratulate one another on how perfect they are. It talks about church as a place where hurting people come to admit their hurt and find healing for their hurt. The book of James records God’s command to “Confess your faults one to another” so that you might be healed. (James 5:16) The church house should be the place where we are the most free to be ourselves and admit our weakness. That’s why we’ve come here today – to admit our weakness before a holy God and to praise Him for His holiness and strength.
That’s not the only lie that is common:
1. “No, officer; was I speeding?”
2. “I’m sorry, he’s not in right now.”
3. “I’m sorry, I can’t make it to work today – I’m sick.”
4. “You’ll have a raise in 6 months.”
5. The last birthday that you counted was 15 years ago.“While Jan was visiting her mother, they went for a walk and bumped into the pastor. "Is this your daughter?" he asked. "Oh my, I remember her when she was this high." Without pausing Jan’s mother said, "Well, she’s twenty-four now." Jan, 35-years-old, nearly fainted on the spot. After everyone had said their good-byes, Jan asked her mother why she’d told such a whopper. "Well," she replied, "I’ve been lying about my age for so long, it suddenly dawned on me that I’d have to start lying about yours too."” – Bible Illustrator.
7. “We’ll spend some time together as a family this weekend.”
8. “If she thinks my kids are under 12 and gives them a discount, I’m not going to correct her.”
NOTE: THis sermon outline is a modified version of one from a sermon on sermoncentral.com. I regret that i do not know the user or sermon name.
Why is it so important to tell the truth?
1. Truth demonstrates you’ve truly changed.
“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices . . .” Colossians 3:9-10
“I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.”
I John. 2:21 (NIV)
Lies evidence that you are still a liar. In Jn. 14:7, Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of Truth”. When you took Jesus as your Savior, you received the Holy Spirit who now lives within you and is supposed to be in control of your life. If the Spirit of Truth is present and in control, what should be flowing out of your life? [TRUTH] Then how come you are still lying?
Lying in your life brings into question either the presence of the Holy Spirit which would mean you are not saved, or it brings into question whether He has control of your life.-
2. Truth provides protection for you.
“Whatsoever is true . . . think on these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8
“Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled . . .” Ephesians 6:14
lies provide a false sense of security (Isaiah 28:15 “. . . we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.”)
“In a survey . . . it was found that 15 percent of the ladies tinted their hair, 38 percent wore a wig, 80 percent wore rouge, 98 percent wore eye shadow, 22 percent wore false eyelashes, 93 percent wore nail polish. And 100 percent voted in favor of a resolution condemning any kind of false packaging.” [Tales of the Tardy Oxcart, p. 146]
3. Truth identifies you with the Father.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life . . . “ John 14:6
“. . .it is impossible for God to lie . . .” Hebrews 6:8
Lies identify you with Satan.
“You belong to your father, the devil. . . there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44 (NIV)
One of the verses I referred to a moment ago talked about the fact that it is impossible for God to lie. Have you ever thought about what it would be like if God could lie? Think about some of the promises that He has made to you:
“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there you may be also.”
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.”
“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become sons of God”
“. . . nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.”
“My God shall supply all your needs . .
4. Truth creates a spirit of trust between you and others.
“Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD.”
Psalm 31:5-6
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”
Ephesians 4:25 (NIV)
…lies create a spirit of deceit and hypocrisy.
“George Munzing, a minister, tells of a time he went to counsel a family about their son’s drug use. The father was distraught as he described the impact of drugs upon his relationship with his son. He said, "The thing that bothers me most about his being into drugs is the fact that drugs have made him a liar." Moments later the phone rang and his wife went to answer. She came back into the room with the message that the call was for the father. He told her, "Tell him I am not at home." Munzing then commented that drugs had not made the boy a liar; the father had.” – Bible Illustrator.
The same is true of lying. There is no such thing as a “white lie”. All lies, whether they are small or of world-wide consequence, are as dark as hell in God’s eyes. Someone has well said that a little lie is like a little pregnancy. Everyone is going to know soon enough. [C.S. Lewis]
5. Truth frees you from bondage.
“. . .the truth will set you free.” John 8:32
How many of you have ever told a lie, and then had to tell a bigger one to cover that one, and then had to tell a bigger one to cover that one. . . and so on?
…lies enslave.
Mark Twain was right when he said, “The difference between a person who tells the truth and tells a lie is that the liar’s got to have a better memory.” [Tales of the Tardy Oxcart, p. 344] Lies trap you because you have to live in your own false little world that you have created. You can’t allow anyone to see the true you. You have to keep up the show and keep pretending that you’re that person that everyone loves you to be.
6. The last birthday that you counted was 15 years ago.“While Jan was visiting her mother, they went for a walk and bumped into the pastor. "Is this your daughter?" he asked. "Oh my, I remember her when she was this high." Without pausing Jan’s mother said, "Well, she’s twenty-four now." Jan, 35-years-old, nearly fainted on the spot. After everyone had said their good-byes, Jan asked her mother why she’d told such a whopper. "Well," she replied, "I’ve been lying about my age for so long, it suddenly dawned on me that I’d have to start lying about yours too."” – Bible Illustrator.
ILLUS: The editor of a small-town newspaper grew tired of being called a liar, and announced that he would tell the truth in the future. The next issue contained the following item: "Married--Miss Sylvan Rhodes and James Collins, last Saturday at the Baptist parsonage, by the Rev. J. Gordon. The bride is a very ordinary town girl, who doesn’t know any more about cooking than a jackrabbit, and never helped her mother three days in her life. She is not a beauty by any means and has a gait like a duck. The groom is an up-to-date loafer. He has been living off the old folks at home all his life and is now worth shucks. It will be a hard life." --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988)
ILLUS: A school principal received a phone call. The voice said, "Thomas Bradley won’t be in school today." The principal was a bit suspicious of the voice. He asked, "Who is speaking?" The voice came back, "My dad." --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 288.
I will be the first to admit there are some fine lines to draw when we come to talking about lying. What do you do if the truth hurts someone’s feelings?
The real problem with children is not that they are too honest. It’s just that they haven’t learned to “speak the truth in love.” (Eph. 4:15) But the great thing about children is that since they are so honest and have no pretense about them, you can usually trust that what they say about what they think of you is the truth. If you ask their opinion about something – if you ask them, “How do I look?”, they’ll tell you what they really think rather than telling you what they think you want to hear. That may hurt sometimes, but it creates a great level of trust.
Here’s a simple guideline: Always tell the truth, but don’t be always telling the truth. – Some things are best kept to yourself. This is what the Bible means when it says “Speaking the truth in love.”
HOW TO OVERCOME LYING
1. Recognize the ultimate consequence of lying.
“All liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire.”
Revelation 21:8
2. Confess and turn your back on the sin.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
3. Admit your human nature is deceitful.
“Out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts . . . deceit.”
Mark 7:21-22
“The heart is deceitful above all things…” Jeremiah 17:3
One of the keys to conquering sin is not to excuse or point the finger of blame somewhere else. So it’s not your family’s fault, or your upbringing’s fault, or your situation’s fault. . . take stock of your own heart. When you get honest before God, you’ll understand that the habit of lying comes directly from your heart.
Then ask God to change your nature. We’ll be talking more about that in the future. . .
4. Remind yourself daily to abide by your new decision.
“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” ~ John Maxwell
5. Change your thinking about truth and lying.
“Put away all lying, each one speak truth with his neighbor.”
Ephesians 4:25
“Buy the truth and do not sell it again.” Proverbs?????
6. Look to the source of truth for help.
“I am the way, the truth and the life.” John 14:6 (NKJV)
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength I need.”
Philippians 4:13
You won’t get it done on your own. If you’re like me, you’ve already proved that.
NOTE: THIS conclusion idea is taken from a sermon by a sermoncentral.com user. I regret that I do not know which sermon or user it was. My apologies.
The very first lie that we talked about this morning was the lie that we tell in response to the question, “How do I look?” I’ve asked [person’s name] to help me this morning with a little experiment. [have pre-arranged person come forward] We’re going to dress this person up with some special attributes. [have person stand with back to congregation; place pre-made cards on person either hanging them around their neck or taping them on their back; cards should read “Adulterer”, “Liar”, “Promise-breaker”, “Cheater”, “Thief”, “Hypocrite”] Now, let’s bring this person before Jesus, [have person walk up to the cross and stand in front of it] and have him ask, “How do I look, Jesus?” If Jesus responds, “You look fine”, that person may like it, but he dies and goes to hell. But if Jesus responds, “You’re covered in sin. Here, I paid for those. Let me take them from you. Let me take your hypocritical lifestyle. Let me take all the things you’ve stolen. Etc. I will forgive you and make you into a brand new person.” [person places placards or signs on the cross and then kneels in front of cross; then take placards back off cross, turn them around and place them back on volunteer with new designations “Truth-walker”, “Giver”, “Honest”, “Promise-keeper”, “Truth-teller”, “Faithful One”; then have person exit stage to back of auditorium and you come back down to floor]
INVITATION
If you were to ask Jesus, “How do I look?”, what would he say? What signs would he hang around your neck – “Liar”, “Hypocrite”, “Cheater”. We all carry those signs to one extent or another. You’ve broken promises to your family, you’ve broken promises to God. When you asked Jesus to be your savior, you promised Him your life. But you’ve taken it back so many times. Why don’t you come and bring it to the foot of the cross this morning.
_________________
HANDOUT
_________________
Speaking the Truth
"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
Exodus 20:16
God considers lying a very serious matter regardless of whether the consequences of that lie are immediate and deadly or not.
There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19 (NIV)
Why is it so important to tell the truth?
1. Truth demonstrates you’ve _______________________.
“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices . . .” Colossians 3:9-10
“I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.”
I John. 2:21 (NIV)
2. Truth provides ___________________________.
“Whatsoever is true . . . think on these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8
“Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled . . .”
Ephesians 6:14
3. Truth identifies you with the __________________.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life . . . “ John 14:6
“. . .it is impossible for God to lie . . .” Hebrews 6:8
Lies identify you with Satan.
“You belong to your father, the devil. . . there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44 (NIV)
4. Truth creates a spirit of __________________________.
“Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD.”
Psalm 31:5-6
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”
Ephesians 4:25 (NIV)
5. Truth frees you from __________________.
“. . .the truth will set you free.” John 8:32
HOW TO OVERCOME LYING
1. Recognize the ultimate ___________________ of lying.
“All liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire.”
Revelation 21:8
2. Confess and ________________________ on the sin.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
3. Admit your human nature is ___________________.
“Out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts . . . deceit.” Mark 7:21-22
“The heart is deceitful above all things…” Jeremiah 17:3
4. ____________________________ about truth and lying.
“Put away all lying, each one speak truth with his neighbor.”
Ephesians 4:25
“Buy the truth and do not sell it again.” Proverbs 23:23
5. Remind yourself daily to _________________________.
“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” ~ John Maxwell
6. Look to the source of truth for help.
“I am the way, the truth and the life.” John 14:6 (NKJV)
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength I need.”
Philippians 4:13
