Who Is Our Neighbor ?

FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR!

OPENING PRAYER

IAM THANKFUL TO GOD FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE USED IN THIS WAY AND TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITHIN THE RICHNESS OF HIS HOLY WORD. IT IS WITH GREAT JOY THAT I COME BEFORE YOU TO SPEAK TODAY CONCERNING THE 9TH COMMANDMENT WHICH IS "YOU SHALL NOT BARE FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR"

THE PROBLEM WE HAVE AS CHRISTIANS IS WHEN VIEWING THE COMMANDMENTS WE TEND TO PICK AND CHOOSE WHICH COMMANDMENTS WE VIEW OURSELVES BEING GUILTY OF!

WE TEND TO VIEW MORE THE PHYSICAL ACT OF BREAKING THE COMMANDMENT AND NEVER SEE THE SPIRITUAL VIOLATION OF THE COMMANDMENT!

EX. IDOLATRY, THE PHYSIACAL VIOLATION WOULD BE KNEELING DOWN WORSHIPING A STATUE OR IMAGE, HOWEVER THE SPIRITUAL VIOLATION WOULD BE ANYTHING YOU HOLD IN HIGHER REGARD THAN GOD OR HIS WORD!

ADULTRY, THE PHYSICAL VIOLATION WOULD BE SEXUAL UNFAITHFULNESS TO YOUR MARRIAGE PARTNER, HOWEVER THE SPIRITUAL VIOLATION WOULD BE UNFAITHFULNESS TO GOD OR HIS WORD!

MURDER, THE PHYSICAL VIOLATION WOULD BE THE UNLAWFUL TAKING OF A HUMAN LIFE, HOWEVER THE SPIRITUAL VIOLATION WOULD BE AN UN WILLINGNESS TO LOVE YOUR BROTHER OR SISTER IN CHRIST, AS CHRIST HAS LOVED YOU!

THE FOCUS OF TODAYS COMMANDENT WITHIN THIS SERMON IS NO DIFFERENT, WE SIMPLY DO NOT SEE THIS COMMANDMENT AS AN ON GOING SIN PROBLEM IN OUR LIVES BECAUSE WE TEND TO LOOK AT THE PHYSICAL VIOLATION OF THE COMMANDMENT AND NEVER VIEW THE SPIRITUAL VIOLATION!

ANOTHER SITUATION CONCERNING THE NINTH COMMANDMENT IS WE TEND TO VIEW THE LETTER OF THE COMMANDMENT AND NOT THE HEART OF THE COMMANDMENT, IN OTHER WORDS WE TEND TO APPLY OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING AND NEVER CONCERN OURSELVES WITH GODS TRUE APPLICATION OF THE COMMANDMENT, AND FROM RESEARCHING SCRIPTURE THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.

(LET US BEGIN)

EXODUS 20:16 "YOU SHALL NOT BARE FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR." (9TH COMMANDMENT)

ISAIAH 45:18-19 FOR THUS SAYS THE LORD, WHO CREATED THE HEAVENS, WHO IS GOD, WHO FORMED THE EARTH AND MADE IT, WHO HAS ESTABLISHED IT, WHO DID NOT CREATE IN VAIN, WHO FORMED IT TO BE INHABITED: IAM THE LORD, AND THERE IS NO OTHER. I HAVE NOT SPOKEN IN SECRET, IN A DARK PLACE OF THE EARTH; I DID NOT SAY TO THE SEED OF JACOB SEEK ME IN VAIN; I THE LORD SPEAK RIGHTEOUSNESS, I DECLARE THINGS THAT ARE RIGHT.

HEBREWS 6:16-18 FOR MEN INDEED SWEAR BY THE GREATER AN OATH FOR CONFIRMATION IS FOR THEM AN END OF ALL DISPUTE. THUS GOD, DETERMINING TO SHOW MORE ABUNDANTLY TO THE HEIRS OF PROMISE THE IMMUTABILITY OF HIS COUNSEL, CONFIRMED IT BY AN OATH, THAT BY TWO IMMUTABLE THINGS, IN WHICH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE, WE MIGHT HAVE STRONG CONSOLATION, WHO HAVE FLED FOR REFUDGE TO LAY HOLD OF THE HOPE SET BEFORE US.

WITHIN THE BOOK OF EXODUS IT WAS AT MOUNT SINAI THE LORD APPEARED IN THE MIDST OF FIRE, LIGHTNING, SMOKE BILLOWING UP TO HEAVEN LIKE A FURNACE AND A TRUMPET BLAST COULD BE HEARD, THAT IT WAS UNDER THESE CONDITIONS THE ISREALITES MET GOD AND WERE DEEPLY AFRAID AND SHAKEN. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT GOD NOT ONLY PRESENTED THROUGH HIS SERVANT MOSES THE DECALOGUE "TEN COMMANDMENTS" WHICH IS HIS WILL FOR US, BUT GOD ALSO PRESENTED HIS CHARACTER AS WELL!

WITHIN THE PREVIOUSLY READ VERSES FROM THE BOOK OF ISAIAH AND HEBREWS WE CAN EASILY VIEW GODS CHARACTER.

THE LORD WHO:

1) SPEAKS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

2) DECLARES THINGS THAT ARE RIGHT.

3) AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE.

GOD DECLARES HIS CHARACTER TO BE "THE TRUTH" GOD IS "THE TRUTH" THIS IS HIS CHARACTER!

SO NOW GODS CHARACTER OF "THE TRUTH" IS DESIRING FOR US TO BE CONFORMED TO HIS CHARACTER, PRESENTS HIS WILL FOR US WITHIN THE 9TH COMMANDMENT,

"YOU SHALL NOT BARE FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR"

THIS COMMANDMENT CONCERNS BAREING FALSE TESTIMONY AGAINST SOMEONE THAT WOULD CAUSE HIM OR HER UNJUSTIFIED INJURY, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR TO TESTIMONY THAT ONE MIGHT GIVE WITHIN A COURT ROOM.

SO NOW GOD DESIRES FOR US TO BE CONFORMED TO HIS CHARACTER OF THE TRUTH ESPECIALLY IN SPEECH.

PSALM 34:13 KEEP YOUR TONGUE FROM EVIL AND YOUR LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT.

PROVERBS 25:18 A MAN WHO BEARS FALSE WITNESS AGAINST HIS NEIGHBOR IS LIKE A CLUB, A SWORD AND A SHARP ARROW.

GOD WARNS US THROUGH HIS WORD IN PSALMS TO CONTROL OUR TONGUE FROM SPEAKING DECEIT. IN PROVERBS WE SEE TO BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR IN A COURT CAN ACT LIKE A WEAPON, CRUSH DIVIDE OR PIEARCE LIKE A CLUB, SWORD OR ARROW!

THE BOOK OF JAMES DESCIBES THE TONGUE AS A SMALL SPARK THAT CAN CAUSE A HUGE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE JUST LIKE A FOREST FIRE.

WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO CHOOSE CONTINUE TO SIN AGAINST THE LORD BARING FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THEIR NEIGHBOR ?