Subject: "Do Not Tell Lies."
Scripture Reference: Exodus 20:16 "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."
Ephesians 4:25 - "Wherefore putting away lying, Speak every man TRUTH with His neighbor, for we are members one of another."
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Introduction:
Our text this morning is centered around the 9th commandment contained in the 10 Commandments that God gave to His people, the Israelites, while on their pilgrimage to the Promised Land. This commandment is still for Christians of today to observe since Jesus said He ----"....came not to destroy the law, but that THE LAW through HIm might be fulfilled."
(Matthew 5:17)
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There was once a time ---and --- it was not to long ago --- when "A MAN’S WORD" was his bond. With his "WORD" and "A GOOD HANDSHAKE" he could borrow money or buy land. You could risk your life upon him "DOING EXACTLY" -- what he said he would do! He would find a way somehow -- to honor his word, his commitment. Whatever it would cost him --- whatever he had to do --- if there was a way possible -- he would do what he said he would do and he would be where he said he would be. His "good name" was something of "great value" to him and "the genuine trust of others" was very important unto him. Even if it would cost him some personal sacrifice and even if it would cost him some personal pain and discomfort, he would keep his word and would fulfill his promises and obligations.
He may not have had "much" in the way of earthly wealth and material possessions --- BUT --- if he had just 2 things he was considered to be rich --- wealthy. What were those 2 things? I’m glas you asked?
1:) A Good Name and 2:) Friends
Neither one of those things did he take lightly -- for those were things NOT GIVEN to him, he had to EARN both of them, his good name and his friends.
Proverbs 22:1 "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and a loving favor than silver and gold."
But sadly and shamefully --- with the majority of people, we cannot depend upon just one’s WORD today. Today we have to have a stack of papers signed and notarized and plenty of collaterial in case they don’t do what they said they would do and we don’t get stuck holding the bag!
I have often heard this sound advice: "Don’t ever lend to close friends and family --- unless you want to have a reason to elimnate them from your life, because some statistics suggest that over 55% of the time you lend money to a real close friend or close relative, and they agree to pay it back by a certian date, they will not keep their word. (55%! think on that for a moment --- that means the chances suggest you will not get repaid when they said they would. Better pray that those you lent to were in the 45% that are honest!) Often times, because they consider you to be "A CLOSE FRIEND", they somehow think they don’t have to strive to repay you back as promptly and you are to "UNDERSTAND" without getting mad or upset.
"TRUTH" --- "GENUINE - HONEST TRUTH" and "INTEGRITY" are becoming very rare commodities and virtues found within today’s society. The whole of humanity however suffers when TRUTH IS SACRIFICED for a lie.
Rick Warren, author of the long standing best seller: THE PURPOSE DRIVEN CHURCH, lists these Top Ten American Lies:
#10: Your table will be ready in a minute.
#09: One size fits all.
#08: This will hurt me worse than it hurts you.
#07: I’m sorry I’m late -- I got stuck in
traffic.
#06: The check is in the mail.
#05: This offer is limited to the 1st 50 callers.
#04: It’s not the money, it’s the principle of
the thing.
#03: I just need 5 minutes of your time.
#02: I’ll start my diet tomorrow.
#01: I’m from the IRS and I’m here to help you.
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A pastor was going to preach on the 9th commandment the following Sunday and he asked his congregation to read the 17th chapter of St. Mark to help prepare themselves for the next sermon. The next Sunday came and he read his text taken from Exodus 20 :19, "Thou shalt not bear false witness..." Then he asked for a show of hands from those who had read the 17th chapter of Mark as he asked them to do. Throughout the congregation several hands were raised. Then the pastor said, "I know now why I felt led to preach on this commandment this morning. There is no 17th chapter of Mark."
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The story is told of a butcher who had some crafty ways of selling his chickens. He had one chicken left and he did not want to keep it over the week end. The pstor of the church came into the store and said,"Hello brother, my wife sent me in here to get a good sized chicken for the Sunday dinner. We’re having some of our family come in for dinner." Joe, the butcher, said, "Pastor, I’ve got exactly what you need." And Joe went back to the freezer and brought out the last chicken and put it on the scale. Joe said,"Pastor, this chicken weighs in at 2 lbs. and e ounces." The pstor replied,"That seems a little too small. Do you have anything else? Joe took the chicken back to the frezer, laid it down and then picked the very same chicken and put it on the scales and said,"Pastor, this one weighs in at 3 lbs. and 2 ounces, but since you’re my pastor and I haven’t done anything for you in a while, I’ll let you have the chicken for the same price of the other one." The pastor said, "Well thank you Brother Joe, but come to think of it, we may have some more people to come in for dinner, so just give me both of the chickens and I’ll pay you the higher price for both of them." Joe had just been caught in a lie.
Usually when one lie is told -- you have to tell two more lies just to keep that one orginal lie from being discovered. Dishonesty and Lying is a very common thing among today’s society.
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IS IT REALLY SUCH A BIG DEAL?
WHAT IF ALL I EVER TELL IS A "LITTLE WHITE LIE"
ISN’T THAT ALRIGHT?
If you had been there that morning when God spoke those 10 Commandments from the top of Mount Sinai --- and beheld the thunder and the lightening -- and the dark clouds and the ground shaking and the voice of God speaking forth these commandments --- then you would know that each one of these commandments were annointed and that God meant serious business when He spoke them.
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The little phrase "Liar, Liar, pants on fire" is exactly what happens to every liar in the end. And we have no idea when that time will come for us as an individual. If you tell a lie, it could very well be the last lie you tell before standing before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 21:8 "..........AND ALL LIARS SHALL HAVE THEIR PART IN THE LAKE OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH."
When we think about lying --- we generally thin
it is someone else problem and not ours.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THESE THINGS --- SEE IF YOU ARE
GUILTY OF ANY OF THESE?
1:) The telephone rings --- and you yell out: "If that is -------, tell them I’m not here."
2:) You don’t want to go to work today --- a friend has asked you to go fishing or hunting, or if you are a woman, a friend wants you to go shopping with her...It will be a day of fun. You however don’t have any more vacation days left, all you have are some sick days. So you get on the phone with your supervisor and you sound so weak and hardly able to get out of bed and say: "I’m not able to come to work today. I’m really sick." And as soon as the phone is hung up --- you’re skipping through the house and you call your friend up and say: "I got it all fixed up at work. I can go!" and you’re excited, you got a day off from work! IT COST YOU A LIE TO GET IT!
3:) As I mentioned last Sunday morning in the sermon: "You talk to the pastor during the week and you say, "I’ll see you in church on Sunday." However, Sunday morning comes and the desire to come to church just isn’t there and you just decide to roll back over into bed or else you have plans to do some things and you take off to do them ---- never giving it a second thought of what you committed yourself to the pastor just a few days before."
4:) What about -- during the week you run low on money and you walk up to a friend or a neighbor or someone at church and you say, "I had such and such to happen this week and I’m running low on money. Could I borrow $50 from you and I’ll pay it back when I get my check on Friday." They lend you the money but when Friday comes you spend the money. So you either do one of two things.
A:) You approach them and say: "You know I had this and that to happen and I don’t have the $50 I borrowed from you to pay back. But when I get my check this Friday I’ll pay you back then." BUT --- that was not what you agreed to when you 1st borrowed the money.
OR:
B:) This happens more than the example above: Friday comes, you get your check and you know that you are supposed to pay back the $50 you borrowed BUT --- you just manage to shun the person you owe as if they have a plague. For $50 you just lost a trust worthy relationship.
5:) What about: Your child wants to stay home from school today because they want to go with you on a trip or else they have homework that is due today and they don’t have it finished. If they turn it in today they will get a failing grade but if they stay home and finish it they could turn it in tomorrow and it would be better. Tomorrow morning comes and you write the school teacher a note saying: "Please excuse my child from missing school yesterday, he or she was sick."
6:) You have a rebellious child ...and they are throwing a temper tantrum. You yell at them and say,"If you don’t quit that I’m going to get you!" The child knows you better than you know you. They keep it up and you just keep sitting by without doing one bit of correction.
AND WE DO THE VERY SAME THING TO GOD:
"OH GOD, HELP US OUT OF THIS SITUATION THAT HAS COME UPON US." OR "GOD PLEASE HEAL MY BODY." OR "DEAR LORD, HEAL MY CHILD" and you promise God that when He intervens you’ll start being more committed to Him and His work and to the church. God does intervene and supplies your need but nothing changes with your commitment to God. You just told God a lie!
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GOD WANTS US TO LIVE A LIFE THAT REFLECTS THAT HE IS IN CONTROL --- OF ALL THINGS WE DO -- OR SAY -- OR THE PLACES WE GO. "OUR LIFE IS TO BE HID IN CHRIST."
Deuteronomy 23:19 "God is not a man, that He
should lie...."
Lying takes away the glory of God from being upon our lives! You cannot walk in God’s anointing and not tell the truth. God is a God of TRUTH. GOD NEVER LIES. GOD DOESN’T HAVE ANY USE FOR LIARS!
NOW YOU MAY SAY,"PASTOR, THAT IS A VERY STRONG STATEMENT." I AGREE BUT IT IS THE TRUTH! LISTEN TO THIS:
SEVEN THINGS GOD HATES:
PROVERBS 6:16-19 "These six things doth the Lord hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto Him. A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and be that soweth discord among the brethern."
Revelation 21:8 "But the fearful and the unbelieving and the abominable and the murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and ALL LIARS, shall have their part in the lake of fire which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
CONCLUSION:
3 REASONS WHY LYING IS WRONG:
1:) IT IS A PART OF SATAN’S KINGDOM.
JOHN 8:44 Satan is a liar and the father
of liars.
Every lie is orchestrated by Satan and it
is used by Satan to do his damage.
2:) IT DESTROYS REALTIONSHIPS:
Every realtionship must be established by
TRUST. Without TRUST you have no
realtionship.
3:) IT IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE LIFE OF A
CHRISTIAN.
Jesus said "I AM THE TRUTH."
WE ARE CALLED TO BE "AMBASSADORS FOR
CHRIST." We cannot be Christ’s
representative and be a liar.
