The Wrong Use of Words (Part 2)

that scares you.

Could be some of you have been to the doctor

and what you heard was frightening.

It could be some of you,

when you got your report card recently,

what you saw was scary

because you knew what kind of trouble you'd be in.

For some, what has scared you lately

is finding out what the experts say

you need to save for your children's education

or for your retirement.

If you've been here the past couple of weeks,

you may have been scared like me

at something that Jesus said about our words.

Look at it with me.

It comes from Luke chapter 6, verse 45.

Luke 6:45

He said,

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart

produces good,

and the evil person out of his evil treasure

produces evil.

For out of the abundance of the heart,

his mouth speaks.

Think about that.

Jesus said,

from out of the abundance of our heart,

our mouth speaks.

Isn't it scary to think that some of the things

that come out of your mouth

is an indication of what's in your heart?

You know, we saw, what, a couple of weeks ago,

our speech reveals who we really are deep down.

If our words are filthy,

it means our heart's filthy.

If our words are deceptive,

it means we've got a deceptive heart.

But if our words are true and wise,

that says something about our heart as well.

We're going to continue our study

of the wrong use of words this morning.

We're in the book of Proverbs.

And what I want us to notice,

think about,

not just notice, but really think about,

as we look at

the various forms of speech,

the wrong use of words.

Like last week, it was gossip and slander.

We're going to look at some more today.

If you have a problem with such,

that's not really a speech problem.

That's a heart problem.

And that's why those words of Jesus scare me.

Well, some of the things that come out of my mouth,

it's not a tongue problem.

It's much deeper than that.

Now, I want to qualify that statement a little bit.

If a person is truly a child of God,

then God is working in their life

to develop Christ-like character.

I mean, that's Romans chapter 8, 29.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

God works in all of His children,

conforming us to the image of His Son.

That's what He does from the time He saves us

until our lives are over here on earth.

But, as God works in us,

as long as we're here in this world,

we've got a sinful nature.

And we don't always cooperate with God, do we?

We don't always obey the Spirit of God's conviction,

don't say that, don't do that.

We just sometimes do what we want to do

and say what we want to say.

God's work in us to make us more and more like His Son

is a lifetime process,

but it's not a perfect process

because of our continuing problems with sin within.

That means that our spiritual growth

will never just be totally consistent,

growing and maturing and rising on up like a chart.

No.

No.

I love the book title that Chuck Swindoll has,

Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back,

because that is the way we grow as Christians.

There's times in your life,

you know since you've become a Christian,

there have been times when you really made some good progress.

God was just working in you,

and you were obedient,

you felt like you were close to Him,

you could see how He was changing,

maybe the way you thought about some things,

the way you were actually living.

But then,

maybe you looked at yourself too closely

and took pride in yourself.

Before you knew it,

you were having some bad attitudes,

saying things you shouldn't say,

doing some things you knew didn't please God.

You make three steps forward sometimes,

but take a step or even two steps back.

But here's what I want us to understand.

If we're Christians,

we are making progress

in our spiritual growth,

in our development of Christ-like or Christian character,

because God does that work.

And God's not going to fail.

He works within us,

as we saw last week from Philippians chapter 2,

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

to cause us to will,

to want,

and to be able

to please Him.

But it's not going to be flawless.

Now,

this pattern of growth,

up and down some,

but still making progress.

That is true about every aspect of our lives,

including our speech.

But you know,

this means that

we will experience struggles

with our words at times,

but some people experience more trouble,

more struggle than others.

Let's just face it.

Some of us in this room,

either before we became Christians

or before we got serious

about living a Christian life,

we developed a vocabulary

that was not Christian.

And so sometimes,

things don't go our way,

something happens,

and it's just automatic,

saying words

that really and truly

don't please God.

It's just sort of a habit.

I don't know if you're like me,

but, you know,

if I live long enough

and develop a little bit of dementia

or something like that,

I'm scared to death

of what's going to come out of my mouth.

Because I know all the words

was pretty well

well in most of them

at one point in my life.

That comes out.

If you,

in your earlier days,

had a problem with anger,

you're going to struggle with anger.

God will help us to deal with it,

to grow.

But there are certain things,

sin patterns in your life

that you struggle with.

And it may be

some of your words

are a part of that sin pattern.

So, as we go through this,

I want you to understand,

our words,

they are a reflection

of what's in our heart.

That's what Scripture says.

That's what Jesus said.

But we don't have pure hearts.

We still have a problem

with sin and selfishness

and things that cause us

to not think,

speak perfectly,

speak perfectly,

or live perfectly like Jesus.

But I want you to let God

show you,

as we go through this,

what the real condition

of your heart is.

Now,

last week we began

looking at the wrong use of words

and address two

that I want to state this way

this week.

Malicious words.

Gossip and slander.

That's what we looked at last week.

This week,

last week I referred to them

as the twin towers

of destructive speech

because that's what they are.

But I'm switching it

because I couldn't think

of a way to continue

that analogy

for this week.

So last week we looked

at malicious words,

gossip and slander.

Let's look first today

at untruthful words.

The focus is going to be

on lying.

Old Testament scholar,

Tremper Longman.

In his commentary

on Proverbs and Psalms,

he listed about 20 verses

in Proverbs

that address the issue

of untruthful speech.

There may be more.

But one sentence

in Proverbs chapter 12

Proverbs 12:22

verse 22

indicates why lying

is such a serious sin.

Look at it.

Lying lips are an abomination

to the Lord.

The NIV says it this way,

God detests lying lips.

We can trim it down

even simpler.

God hates.

God despises lying lips.

Now, why would the Scripture

state so strongly

God's hatred

of our lying?

Well, first,

it's totally contrary

to His nature.

You see, God's 100% truthful.

That's just who He is.

He can't help but be.

He is God.

He cannot lie.

He thinks.

He speaks.

He acts in ways

that are totally honest

and truthful,

above board,

total integrity.

That's just God.

Jesus, when He came

into this world,

He came as God

in the flesh.

John chapter 1,

John 1:1

verse 1 says,

The beginning was the Word

and the Word was with God

and the Word was God.

Jesus, when He came

into the world,

He took on human nature.

He became the God-man.

And one of the ways

Jesus described

or explained

who He was

was in terms of

He is truth.

Look at this.

John chapter 14.

John 14 · chapter mention

You know this.

Jesus said,

I am the way

and the truth

and the life.

That's just

the nature of God.

And then the Bible

is God's written Word

and Jesus used

the very word

truth

to describe

God's Word

in John 17, 17.

He's praying.

Talking to His heavenly Father

and He says,

Your Word

is truth.

So,

whenever we lie,

whenever we're deceptive,

whenever we are

trying to

conceal the truth,

we are

180 degrees

from what God is

and what the Lord Jesus is

and what the Word of God is.

whenever we lie,

we're acting

totally contrary

to God,

His nature,

His character,

everything.

So, here's what

we need to think about here.

If you are a liar

at heart,

and some people are,

you may have been

around some people.

A liar at heart

is somebody

who just

thinks in terms

of being deceptive,

being dishonest.

Say whatever it takes

to get my way.

And truth doesn't matter.

All you're concerned about

are just a habitual liar,

liar to the core.

You're just worried

about getting caught.

But it doesn't bother,

if it doesn't bother you

to lie,

you cannot be

a child of God.

That's just as clear

as clear can be.

Here's why.

God's totally

non-lying.

Totally truthful.

If we're children of God,

it's because God

has put His Spirit

in us,

the Holy Spirit,

the Spirit of God.

And if the Spirit

of God lives within us,

because we still have

a sinful nature,

we can lie.

And we do sometimes.

But if we're Christians

and we lie,

sooner or later

the Spirit of God

is going to convict

us,

this is wrong,

this is sinful,

this is offensive to God.

And it becomes

offensive to us

because it's contrary

to our true nature

as Christians.

And so if you can lie,

boys and girls,

teenagers,

middle-aged people,

old people,

if you can lie

and it doesn't bother you,

it's just who you are,

how you are,

what you do,

you cannot have the Spirit

of God within you.

There is no way

because the Spirit

of God

is all about

truthfulness,

honesty,

integrity.

God hates lying

because it's contrary

to His nature.

God hates lying

because it is the nature

of the devil.

as Jesus pointed out

in John chapter 8.

John 8 · chapter mention

In that chapter,

Jesus is having

a confrontation

with religious leaders,

some Pharisees

and others

who are opposing Him,

trying to undermine Him,

trying to make people think

He doesn't know

what He's talking about,

He's wrong,

He's lying.

They're trying to lead

people astray,

keep people from believing

in Jesus,

take them away from Him.

And in the context

of Him arguing

with these people,

telling them

that they are liars,

He says this

about the devil,

John 8, 44,

when He lies,

He speaks out

of His own character,

for He is a liar

and the father

of lying,

lies.

Lying is a very serious problem

because it originates

with Satan.

That's where we see it

first in the Bible,

Genesis chapter 3,

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

the serpent tempts Eve.

If you are a liar at heart,

then according to what

Jesus told those Pharisees,

your father is the devil,

not God.

Now that's hard,

but that's what Jesus

Himself said

to liars,

people who knew

they were,

didn't care

because it was going

to further their agenda.

God is not your father,

the devil is

because he is a liar

and the father of lies.

It's obvious

in just these two examples

why God hates lying.

But as children of God,

understanding this,

shouldn't lying

bother us?

Shouldn't lying

be something

that we hate

as well?

It has to be,

doesn't it?

Lying is something

we all need

to take very seriously.

It's something

that we who influence

children

need to make sure

they take seriously.

I'm talking to parents,

grandparents,

aunts and uncles,

teachers,

coaches.

If you are an influencer

of children,

you need to really

emphasize

the importance of truth,

being truthful.

Chuck Swindoll

issues a good,

important warning

about children

and lying.

Look at what he says.

He says,

we do children

no service

by allowing them

to ease

out of responsibility

for their lies.

Tolerance

only produces

a more mature

and skilled

liar.

Let's think about this

for a moment.

Children will lie

for all kinds

of reasons

just like

adults do.

people lie

because of

the fear

of consequences

because they

want to avoid

embarrassment

maybe.

We lie

just for basically

selfish reasons.

Whatever the

reason is,

you who influence

children,

when you find

your child

or a child

you have influence

responsible for,

when you find

that they lie,

deal with it

quickly

and severely

from a young

age.

That is,

whenever they

tell their

first lie.

I don't know

if you parents

are like me.

My boys

were growing

up.

I made

too many

things that

shouldn't have

been issues.

I made them

an issue.

I died

or shed

blood,

their blood,

my blood,

on too many

hills

when they

were growing

up.

I've got

one of them

in the service

and he can

tell you

that's true.

I had one

in the first

service.

I told the

first service,

you can ask

him,

I did.

Too many

things mattered,

I thought,

when they

were young.

It really

and truly

did not

matter.

But lying

is one.

that always

matters.

It is a

hill worth

spilling tons

of blood

on.

Lying is

something you

bring out the

nuclear arsenal

to combat.

We're talking

about lying.

It originates

in Satan.

It is something

that God

abhors,

hates,

despises

to the

core of

his being.

Deal

with lying

in your

children and

children you

have influence

over

in an age

appropriate

way

but don't

let them

get by

with lying

even one

time.

As

Swindoll

says,

tolerance

only produces

a more

mature

and skilled

liar.

If you

let them

get by

with it

at four,

they'll be

much more

adept at it

at 14.

And by

the time

they go

out from

your home,

they'll be

masters of

lying.

that's

why you

do

as that

philosopher

said,

that great

philosopher

Barney

Fyfe,

you gotta

nip it

in the

bud.

Lying

is one,

you gotta

nip in

the bud.

Let's

look at

another

wrong use

of words.

Self-promoting

words,

boasting,

bragging

words.

Proverbs

has several

warnings about

promoting

yourself,

bragging

on yourself,

your accomplishments,

things like

this.

Look at

two examples,

Proverbs

26,

12.

Do you

see a

man who

is wise

in his

own eyes?

There's

more hope

for a

fool

than for

him.

27,

2.

Let

another

praise

you,

not your

own mouth,

a stranger,

not your

own lips.

If you,

if there's

something about

you,

and there

certainly

is,

but if

there's

something

about

you

that's

good,

that ought

to be

noticed,

good to

be affirmed,

you let

somebody else

do it.

You don't

do it.

You let

someone that

doesn't have

any kind

of vested

interest in

you,

let that

stranger do

it.

That'll be

the more

sincere one.

The problem

we're talking

about here

in these

two verses,

speaking to

highly of

ourselves or

our

accomplishments.

He says

it's very

dangerous.

There's more

hope for a

fool than

for the

person who

is wise

in his

own eyes.

You know

why it's

so dangerous

for us to

be wise

in our

own eyes?

Because we

don't have

20-20 vision

when we look

at ourselves.

Aren't we

biased?

Aren't we

biased?

Do you

know why the

second great

commandment

says to

love your

neighbor as

yourself?

Because we

love ourselves.

We do.

That's why the

word of God

says love your

neighbor as

yourself because

you're going to

love yourself.

And we love

what we do,

a lot of what

we do,

not everything.

You know the

other word that

can be used to

describe such

boasting, it's

pride.

God has a real

problem with

pride.

He hates it

too.

There's a

passage in

Proverbs chapter

Proverbs 6 · chapter mention

6 where there

are seven things

that God hates.

Look at it with

me.

We're just

going to look

at two.

There are six

things that the

Lord hates,

seven that are

an abomination

to him.

Haughty eyes,

a lying tongue.

Note the

lying tongue is

second here on

the list.

We already

covered that.

But the first

is haughty

eyes.

Some synonyms

for haughty

are proud,

arrogant,

conceited,

self-important,

stuck up.

You know what

I'm talking

about.

You understand.

God hates

our prideful,

arrogant,

conceited

attitudes

and actions

including our

words.

Why does God

hate it?

Well God hates

pride like this

because it's

demonstrating an

attitude of

self-centeredness

instead of

God-centeredness.

See he's

supposed to be

the focus of

our lives.

Do all that we

do for his

glory.

The greatest

thing of all

is to go and

do his will.

Well if we

think we're

the center of

everything,

if we think

that we are

self-sufficient,

then our

focus is just

going to be on

us and not

him.

We're going to

live to please

ourselves.

Just do what

we want,

when we want,

how we want,

with no thought

of what God's

desire,

plan may be.

You know pride

also affects our

relationships with

others.

You know this,

pride in

relationship to

others is sort

of like an

attitude of

superiority.

We think we're

better than

others.

We think we're

more important

than others.

We think we've

accomplished more

than others.

And when we

have that attitude

it causes us to

look down on

people or just

ignore them.

fail to

notice,

fail to

love.

A prideful

person usually

has a problem

with authority.

A prideful

person, I

know it all,

I don't need

anybody to tell

me, a lot

of times a

prideful person

just resents

authority at

every level of

life.

The pride we're

talking about,

it comes out a

lot of times in

our words in

relation to other

people.

We build

ourselves up

love, but we

need some help

so we put other

people down.

That's what

gossip does,

that's what

slander does,

that's what

lying about

another person

does.

Let's pause

here and clarify

that it's not

prideful to

acknowledge your

talents, your

abilities.

Because you have

some.

I said in the

first service,

these two young

ladies, Sarah and

Sabrina Stewart,

they can sing,

they can play

musical instruments.

And for them to

say, oh, I can't

do anything, that'd

just be foolish.

They need to, they

can acknowledge God

has given them

gifts, talents.

God has given

them the opportunity

to develop those

talents.

And they've done

very well in

doing it.

So it's not

wrong for you,

for me, for

them, to

acknowledge, I

can do some

things.

I'm pretty good

at some things.

I can, I have

won some awards

and so forth.

When it becomes

prideful is when

we take credit

for it, brag

about it, as if

we're the ones

responsible.

We all need to

never forget

everything that you

are, everything

that you have, it

originates from

God.

Paul addressed

this to the

Corinthian church

because they had

some pride problems

over people,

certain leaders.

And he made this

statement in 1

Corinthians 4,

what do you have

that you did not

receive?

If then you

received it,

why do you

boast as if you

did not receive

it?

Acknowledge what

God's given you,

but give him the

credit.

Praise him.

Thank him.

Boys and girls,

I have heard

children actually

say these words

to me.

I'm the smartest

kid in my class.

I'm the best

player on my

team.

I've heard that.

Boys and girls,

do not ever tell

a human being

in this world,

I'm the best

player on my

team.

I'm the smartest

kid in my

class.

That's just a

prideful,

arrogant,

conceited statement

for you to

make.

It's wrong.

Now,

if someone

else tells you

that,

if one of your

classmates,

one of your

teammates comes

up to you and

says,

pats you on the

back,

boy,

you're just the

best player on

our team.

You look at that

person,

you just say,

thank you.

Just say,

thank you.

If somebody

comes up in the

class and says,

you're the smartest

one on the team,

just tell them,

thank you.

And if you feel

like, I just got to

say something else,

just say, I'm just

thankful that the

Lord gave me the

ability to do that.

Because if you're the

best player on your

team, who made you

fast?

Who made you

athletic?

If you're the smartest

one in your class,

who gave you the

mind to do,

make the grades and do

what you do.

Just say, thank you.

If you have to say

more, thank God,

acknowledge that it's

a gift from Him.

You're just thankful.

But don't let it go to

your head.

Boys and girls,

don't brag.

that's pride.

And I want you to

understand something.

God hates to hear it

coming out of your

mouth.

And your friends

don't want to hear it

either.

I want us all right now,

let's think about some

of the things we normally

say.

Listen carefully to

yourself.

Do you hear that you're

a boastful kind of

person?

Look carefully at

yourself.

Do you see some signs

of pride?

We all need to be on

guard.

It can creep in.

It does at times with

all of us.

But pride will separate

us from God quicker

than anything else.

James and Peter both

in the New Testament

tell us this,

make it clear.

Look at what James

says, just one sentence.

God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the

humble.

Peter, it really expands

that.

Look at what he says in

1 Peter 5.

All of you,

clothe yourselves with

humility toward one

another because God

opposes the proud but

He gives grace to the

humble.

Humble yourselves

therefore under God's

mighty hand that He may

lift you up in due

time.

You see in there,

there's a solution to

our pride problem.

Humble yourself under

God's mighty hand.

Humble yourself.

It recognizes that God's

God and you aren't.

Recognize that who you

are and what you are

has been given to you

by God.

There's no room for you

to brag about it.

Be prideful over it.

How do you need to

respond to what the

Lord has said through

His word this morning

about the wrong use of

your words in lying,

in bragging?

Has God convicted you?

Has He made it clear to

you that you've got a

problem?

You've got a problem with

the truth.

You've got a problem with

being prideful.

Well, the way to respond

is to just admit it to

Him.

Don't make excuses.

Confess it to Him.

Repent of it.

Change your mind.

Turn from it.

Ask Him to help you to

see how bad it really is

and turn from it.

Stop it.

Ask Him to give you the

ability to think before

you speak.

To help you to understand

that everything you are

and everything you have

has been given to you

by Him.

Turn from your sin.

Put your faith and

trust in Jesus.

If you're not a Christian,

think.

When He died on the

cross, He actually paid

the penalty for my sin.

He took my punishment.

If you'll trust Him,

you'll be forgiven because

the penalty for your sin

will be paid.

So trust Him.

Call upon Him to save you.

If you are a Christian,

but you realize I have

developed,

I have developed sort of

a being loose with the

truth.

Or I know that there's

some pride issues in my

life.

Confess that to God.

Truly repent of it.

Ask Him to help you to

truly turn.

And understand that when

Jesus died for your sins,

He paid the penalty.

So accept your forgiveness

and just ask God now to

help you to be more

sensitive to His Spirit,

to be alert to times when

you're tempted to tell a

lie, to be alert to the

pride issues in your life,

the boasting temptations in

your life, and ask Him to

help you to say no to those.

To humble yourself.

To speak the truth.

Our words really do matter.

They have an effect on many

people as well as

ourselves.

Our words matter because they

reflect the true condition of

our heart.

That's why our words be used

as a criteria for judgment on

our judgment day.

I want to conclude like I have

with the last two messages.

These chilling words of

Jesus from Matthew chapter 12.

Matthew 12 · chapter mention

I tell you on the day of

judgment, people will give an

account for every careless

word they speak.

For by your words you will be

justified.

And by your words you will be

condemned.

Let's pray together.

Father, show us how we should

respond.

Show each individual in this

room.

Help us to do it.

Help that person who is not a

Christian to call upon Jesus

right now to surrender their

lives to Him as Lord.

Father, help that Christian who

has been convicted this morning

of their just plain selfishness,

self-centeredness.

They're just full of pride.

It comes out in their words and

their actions.

Convict that one who will lie to

get out of suffering consequences,

to avoid embarrassment.

Dear God, draw them back to you.

The God of truth.

Draw them back to you.

The source of all that they are,

all that they have.

Draw them back and cause them to

humble themselves before you.

And seek your forgiveness.

And renewed fellowship with you.

Right now, in an attitude of

prayer, let's just all listen to the

Lord and respond to Him.

I'd be happy to pray with you,

talk with you here at the front.

You want to come down during this

next few minutes as the musicians

play.

We're just going to be still and

silent and pray before the Lord.

Do it.