Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021324A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:14 >>I WANT TO WELCOME ANY VISITORS THAT WE MAY HAVE HERE 00:16 TODAY AND WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'RE VISITING. OUR CHURCH NORMALLY 00:22 DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THIS UP FRONT. WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH 00:25 A SERIES DEALING WITH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 00:28 WE THOUGHT THAT WAS A WORTHY SUBJECT FOR US TO STUDY 00:31 TOGETHER BECAUSE THESE ARE THE WORDS THAT GOD SPOKE WITH HIS 00:36 OWN VOICE, HE WROTE WITH HIS OWN FINGER - THEY CONSTITUTE THE 00:40 ESSENCE OF HIS COVENANT BY WHICH WE ARE SAVED. 00:44 OLD COVENANT - WRITTEN ON STONE - NEW COVENANT - SAME LAW 00:48 BUT IT'S WRITTEN ON THE HEART THROUGH LOVE. 00:51 AND SO WE'VE FOUND IT'S EDIFYING TO TALK ABOUT THESE 00:55 COMMANDMENTS. I'VE BEEN BLESSED JUST IN 00:58 STUDYING TO PREPARE THESE MESSAGES FOR YOU. 01:01 WELL, I'VE BEEN BLESSED AND I'VE BEEN CONVICTED TOO BECAUSE 01:04 I'VE FOUND THAT THE LAW IS - IT'S VERY BROAD. 01:08 IT'S VERY COMPREHENSIVE IN WHAT IT COVERS AND SOME THINGS 01:11 WE THINK THAT 'WELL, THAT'S NOT REALLY COVERED BY THE LAW.' 01:14 YOU REALIZE EACH OF THOSE COMMANDMENTS IS GENIUS IN 01:20 HOW FAR-REACHING THEY ARE IN WHAT THE - THOSE TEN WORDS OF 01:28 THE DECALOGUE - WHAT THEY COVER. IT'S JUST AMAZING TO ME. 01:32 AND TODAY WE ARE ON COMMANDMENT NUMBER 9, WHICH YOU 01:37 FIND ON THE SECOND TABLE OF THE LAW AND IT'S IN EXODUS 20:16 - 01:44 SHORT - COVERS A LOT THOUGH. "YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE 01:49 WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR." SO THE MESSAGE 01:53 TODAY IS, OF COURSE, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS NUMBER 9 - 01:57 'SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE' - SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE. 02:03 NOW, WE MIGHT BE WONDERING, 'WELL, YOU'RE NOT 02:06 SUPPOSED TO BEAR FALSE TESTIMONY AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR, WELL, 02:10 WHO'S YOUR NEIGHBOR?' JESUS ANSWERS THAT QUESTION 02:14 IN THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN. EVERYBODY WHO'S IN 02:17 NEED IS YOUR NEIGHBOR. AND SO, REALLY, THIS IS A 02:20 COMMANDMENT THAT'S TELLING US TO TELL THE TRUTH. 02:24 YOU SEE, THE BIBLE'S PRETTY CLEAR JESUS IS THE TRUTH 02:28 - CHRIST IS THE EMBODIMENT OF THE TRUTH AND AS CHRISTIANS WE 02:33 WANT TO FOLLOW CHRIST SO WE WANT THE TRUTH ENGRAINED IN OUR LIVES 02:38 AND IN ALL THAT WE SAY AND IN ALL THAT WE SHARE. 02:41 BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY, THIS NINTH COMMANDMENT IS 02:43 DEALING WITH SOMETHING THAT WE THINK OF AS PERJURY. 02:48 PERJURY IS, OF COURSE, WHEN YOU BEAR FALSE WITNESS WHILE UNDER 02:51 OATH TO TELL THE TRUTH. NOW PEOPLE GO TO COURT AND 02:57 THEY MIGHT BEAR FALSE WITNESS WHEN IT COMES TO A TRAFFIC 03:00 CITATION OR THEY MIGHT BEAR FALSE WITNESS WHEN, YOU KNOW, 03:04 IT COMES TO SHOPLIFTING OR SOMETHING AND WE'RE LIVING IN 03:08 THE AGE OF COURT TV AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE SURROUNDED WITH 03:16 VISUAL IMAGES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SITTING IN EITHER THE BENCH OF 03:21 THE DEFENDANT OR THE WITNESS AND THERE'S SO MUCH OF 03:25 THAT THESE DAYS. BUT WHAT'S REALLY SAD IS 03:28 PERJURY - FALSE TESTIMONY - HAS BECOME EXTREMELY COMMONPLACE. 03:34 YOU'LL SEE VIDEO RECORDINGS OF CONFESSIONS AND THEN WHEN 03:38 THEY FINALLY GET INTO THE BOX THEY SAY, 'OH, THAT WAS UNDER 03:41 PRESSURE. IT'S NOT TRUE.' BUT THEN ALL THE 03:43 EVIDENCE COMES IN AND IT SHOWS THAT THEY'RE JUST LYING AND 03:46 IT SEEMS TO COME SO EASY. WHY IS THAT? 03:50 YOU KNOW, WE'RE LIVING IN A TIME THAT'S UNIQUE IN THAT THIS 03:55 IS A CULTURE THAT IS SATURATED WITH MEDIA. 04:00 WE'RE SURROUNDED WITH TELEVISION PROGRAMS - EVERYTHING 04:03 FROM COMMERCIALS TO DAYTIME DRAMA TO THE MOVIES AND DVDS IS 04:08 FILLED WITH ACTING. AND YOU KNOW WHAT ACTING IS? 04:15 MY MOTHER WAS AN ACTRESS AND SHE USED TO TELL ME, 'DOUG, IN 04:20 ORDER TO BE A GOOD ACTOR OR ACTRESS YOU NEED TO BE A GOOD 04:24 LIAR.' AND IT WAS ALMOST COMMENDED AND ENCOURAGED. 04:30 AND THERE HAVE EVEN BEEN EDUCATORS IN OUR COUNTRY - 04:35 POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP AND EDUCATION - THAT SAY WE 04:38 SHOULDN'T TAKE IT TOO SERIOUSLY WHEN THESE YOUNG MINDS 04:41 BEGIN TO CONJURE UP DECEPTION 'THAT SHOWS CREATIVITY' - AND 04:47 IT'S ALMOST ENCOURAGED. AND WHEN SO MANY OF THE PROGRAMS 04:55 WHERE THE ACTORS ARE THEN LYING IN THE SCRIPT AND PEOPLE LAUGH 05:00 AND THEY THINK IT'S CUNNING, IT'S CLEVER, IT'S FUNNY. 05:03 AND I CAN GO ALL THE WAY BACK - NOW THE PROGRAMMING THAT I GREW 05:06 UP ON WAS PRETTY TAME AND MILD COMPARED TO WHAT'S OUT THERE 05:10 TODAY. I MEAN, BUT EVERYTHING FROM 05:13 'BEWITCHED' TO 'GILLIGAN'S ISLAND' - THERE WAS ALL KINDS 05:15 OF LYING AND DECEPTION THAT WE THOUGHT WAS CUTE AND YOU'D HEAR 05:19 THE LAUGH TRACK - YOU KNOW WHAT THE LAUGH TRACK IS? 05:22 THEY HAVE PRE-RECORDED PEOPLE LAUGHING DURING THESE 05:25 SITCOMS AND THEY'D PLAY THE BUTTON AND WHENEVER SOMEONE TOLD 05:28 A LITTLE LIE OR THEY GAVE SOME DECEPTION, THEY'D PLAY THE LAUGH 05:32 TRACK AND YOU WERE MADE TO THINK, 'THIS IS JUST FUNNY.' BUT 05:37 DOES GOD SEE LYING AS FUNNY? WE'VE BEEN PROGRAMMED TO JUST 05:42 WINK - AND YOU CAN LIE WITH A WINK, YOU KNOW. 05:46 WE HAVE BEEN SO SATURATED WITH DECEPTION AND UNTRUTH THAT 05:51 I THINK WE'RE LIVING IN A CULTURE THAT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT 05:55 FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND 'WHAT IS THE TRUTH?' 05:59 WHAT IS THE TRUTH? YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY, CHRIST 06:03 WAS CONDEMNED BECAUSE PILATE SAID, 'WHAT IS TRUTH?' 06:07 WHO WAS IT - MARK TWAIN - THAT SAID, 'THE REASON THAT 06:10 PEOPLE HOLD THE TRUTH IN SUCH HIGH REGARD IS THEY HAVE SUCH 06:12 LITTLE OPPORTUNITY TO GET USED TO IT.' THE REASON PEOPLE HOLD 06:17 THE TRUTH IN SUCH HIGH REGARD IS THEY HAVE SUCH LITTLE 06:19 OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH IT. 06:22 THERE'S SO LITTLE OF IT - OF REAL TRUTH - THAT IT'S HIGHLY 06:26 ESTEEMED BUT PEOPLE DON'T REALLY SPEAK IT. 06:31 WELL, IN THE BIBLE TIMES BEARING FALSE TESTIMONY WASN'T 06:35 JUST LIKE SOMEBODY GETTING AWAY WITH SHOPLIFTING OR A 06:39 TRAFFIC CITATION. BEARING FALSE TESTIMONY - 06:42 YOU REALIZE THE FIRST FOUR - ACTUALLY, MORE THAN THAT - 06:46 THE FIRST SEVEN COMMANDMENTS - MAYBE EVEN EIGHT DEPENDING ON 06:51 THE NATURE OF IT - THE PENALTY WAS DEATH. 06:54 AND SO IF SOMEBODY GAVE FALSE TESTIMONY IT COULD COST 06:59 ANOTHER PERSON THEIR LIFE. BY THE WAY, OUR FALSE 07:02 TESTIMONY COST JESUS HIS LIFE. LYING IS STILL DEADLY. 07:08 NOTICE, DEUTERONOMY 17:6, "WHOEVER IS DESERVING OF 07:13 DEATH SHALL BE PUT TO DEATH ON THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE 07:17 WITNESSES; HE SHALL NOT BE PUT TO DEATH ON THE TESTIMONY OF 07:20 ONE WITNESS." YOU WOULD WANT THOSE WITNESSES TO BE GIVING 07:24 HONEST, ACCURATE TESTIMONY. NOW NOTICE, IF YOU WERE GOING TO 07:29 BEAR TESTIMONY AGAINST SOMEONE, AND THE PENALTY WAS DEATH, WHO 07:32 DO YOU THINK THREW THE FIRST STONE? 07:35 WHEN JESUS MADE THAT STATEMENT IN JOHN CHAPTER 8, HE 07:37 WAS QUOTING BACK TO THE TIME OF MOSES WHERE, WHEN SOMEONE 07:40 GAVE TESTIMONY, AND SOMEONE ELSE WAS FOUND GUILTY, THEY DIDN'T 07:44 HAVE TEN YEARS OF APPEALS ON DEATH ROW, THEY DRUG HIM OUTSIDE 07:48 THE CAMP AND THEY FOUND SOME ROCKS AND THEY WERE EXECUTED. 07:55 - "THE HANDS OF THE WITNESSES SHALL BE THE FIRST AGAINST HIM 07:58 TO PUT HIM TO DEATH, AND AFTERWARD THE HANDS OF ALL THE 08:00 PEOPLE. SO YOU SHALL PUT AWAY THE EVIL FROM AMONG YOU." 08:04 DEUTERONOMY 19 - NOW WHAT HAPPENED IF YOU WERE A 08:07 FALSE WITNESS IN A CASE - IF YOU PERJURED YOURSELF? 08:11 DEUTERONOMY 19, VERSE 16 - IF YOU'RE TAKING NOTES. 08:15 "IF A FALSE WITNESS RISES AGAINST ANY MAN TO TESTIFY 08:19 AGAINST HIM OF WRONGDOING, THEN BOTH MEN IN THE CONTROVERSY 08:23 SHALL STAND BEFORE THE LORD, BEFORE THE PRIESTS AND THE 08:26 JUDGES WHO SERVE IN THOSE DAYS. 08:27 AND THE JUDGES SHALL MAKE CAREFUL INQUIRY," - 08:29 THERE'LL BE AN INVESTIGATION - "AND INDEED, IF THE WITNESS IS A 08:33 FALSE WITNESS, WHO HAS TESTIFIED FALSELY AGAINST HIS 08:36 BROTHER, THEN YOU SHALL DO TO HIM AS HE THOUGHT TO HAVE DONE 08:40 TO HIS BROTHER; SO YOU SHALL PUT AWAY THE EVIL FROM AMONG YOU. 08:43 AND THOSE WHO REMAIN SHALL HEAR AND FEAR, AND THEREAFTER 08:47 THEY SHALL NOT AGAIN COMMIT SUCH EVIL AMONG YOU." - AS TO BEAR 08:50 FALSE TESTIMONY AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR - "YOUR EYE SHALL NOT 08:53 PITY: LIFE SHALL BE FOR LIFE, EYE FOR EYE, TOOTH FOR TOOTH, 08:57 HAND FOR HAND, FOOT FOR FOOT." IN OTHER WORDS, IF SOMEONE WAS 09:01 BEARING FALSE WITNESS AGAINST HIS NEIGHBOR AND THE PENALTY FOR 09:05 THAT CRIME WAS DEATH, THE FALSE WITNESS WAS EXECUTED. 09:09 IF SOMEONE WAS BEARING FALSE WITNESS AND IT WAS A FINE 09:12 FOR $50.00, YOU TOOK $50.00 AWAY FROM THE FALSE WITNESS. 09:16 IF IT WAS HAVING YOUR HAND CHOPPED OFF FOR STEALING - 09:18 NOT THAT THE ISRAELITES DID THAT - THEY GOT THEIR HAND CHOPPED 09:21 OFF. IF THEY SAID, 'OH, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO KNOCKED OUT SO AND 09:25 SO'S TOOTH BUT IT WASN'T TRUE, THE FALSE WITNESSES TOOTH GOT 09:27 KNOCKED OUT - OR EYE POKED OUT - OR WHATEVER IT WAS. 09:30 IN OTHER WORDS, YOU WOULD APPLY TO THE FALSE WITNESS 09:33 WHATEVER HIS TESTIMONY WOULD HAVE CAUSED TO BE THE PENALTY 09:36 AGAINST THE OTHER PARTY. SO IF THEY REALLY - YOU KNOW 09:41 WHAT HAPPENS NOW? WITH DNA - DNA'S CREATED A WHOLE NEW 09:44 SCIENCE OF EVIDENCE IN CRIMINAL STUDIES. 09:50 THEY HAVE FOUND MANY PEOPLE WHO WERE IN PRISON 10, 15, 25 09:55 YEARS, IN ONE CASE, FOR CRIMES - BECAUSE THEY STILL HAD THE 09:58 EVIDENCE THEY CHECKED - THEY FOUND OUT THIS MAN WAS NOT 10:01 GUILTY OF THIS RAPE HE WAS ACCUSED OF. 10:04 IT WAS AN IMPOSSIBILITY - THE DNA DID NOT MATCH. 10:06 HE'D ALWAYS SAID HE WAS NOT GUILTY AND THEY SAID, 'WELL 10:08 HOW DID HE GET CONDEMNED?' WELL, THERE WAS A WITNESS. 10:12 AND THEY GO BACK TO THE WITNESS AND THEY CONFRONT THEM 10:15 WITH THE EVIDENCE, 'WELL, I THOUGHT IT MAYBE WAS THEM. 10:19 I THOUGHT IT LOOKED LIKE THEM. I DON'T REMEMBER. 10:21 IT'S KIND OF FUZZY NOW.' AND THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING TO THE 10:23 FALSE WITNESS. THEY KIND OF SHRUG. 10:27 BUT IF FALSE WITNESSES ENDED UP GETTING THE PENALTY THAT 10:32 THEY'RE ACCUSING THE OTHER PERSON OF BEING GUILTY OF, I 10:34 THINK PEOPLE WOULD BE A LOT MORE CAREFUL WITH THEIR TESTIMONY. 10:38 IN BIBLE TIMES THAT WAS WHAT THE PENALTY SAID. 10:41 PROVERBS 19:5, "A FALSE WITNESS WILL NOT GO UNPUNISHED, 10:46 AND HE WHO SPEAKS LIES WILL NOT ESCAPE." A PERSON MIGHT 10:51 THINK, 'WELL, I GOT AWAY WITH IT.' BUT YOU NEVER DO. 10:57 A FALSE WITNESS WILL BE PUNISHED. IF NOT IN THIS LIFE - 11:01 AND USUALLY IN THIS LIFE IT CATCHES UP WITH THEM. 11:04 EVEN IF OTHERS DON'T KNOW, GOD HAS A WAY OF EVENING THE 11:07 SCORE WITHOUT THE COURTS EVER FINDING OUT THAT GOD EVENED THE 11:10 SCORE. YOU NEVER, EVER GET AWAY 11:14 WITH ANYTHING, DID YOU KNOW THAT? 11:16 YOU MAY AS WELL LIVE HOLY LIVES BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU NOW 11:18 YOU DON'T GET AWAY WITH ANYTHING. 11:20 YOUR SIN WILL SURELY FIND YOU OUT - WHATEVER IT IS - 11:23 YOU BETTER CONFESS AND REPENT OF IT BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS GOING 11:27 TO GET EVENED UP. GOD WILL SEE TO THAT. 11:31 THE BIBLE SAYS 'THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE' AND IF THE 11:34 TRUTH SETS YOU FREE THEN IT STANDS TO REASON LYING WILL BIND 11:39 YOU. A MAN IS HOLDEN WITH THE CORDS OF THEIR SINS. 11:43 AND YOU KNOW HOW WHEN YOU TELL ONE LIE YOU'VE GOT TO THEN 11:44 TELL ANOTHER AND ANOTHER TO TRY AND COVER YOUR TRACKS AND IT 11:47 JUST GETS WORSE AND WORSE. LYING WILL IMPRISON YOU. 11:54 THE TRUTH WILL LIBERATE YOU. NOW IT'S NOT JUST - PEOPLE 11:59 SAY, 'WELL, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T REALLY SAY IN THE TEN 12:00 COMMANDMENTS 'DON'T LIE' IS JUST SAYS 'DON'T BEAR 12:03 FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR.' WELL, YOU CAN READ 12:05 PLENTY OF OTHER PLACES IN THE BIBLE IT SAYS 'DO NOT LIE'. 12:09 AND SO, IT WAS CERTAINLY PART OF THAT COMMANDMENT. 12:12 LYING IS A SIN. NOW WE NEED TO MAKE A 12:15 DISTINCTION - IF A PERSON SAYS SOMETHING THAT ISN'T 12:18 TRUE, IT ISN'T ALWAYS A LIE. 'WHAT? 12:23 DID I HEAR THE PASTOR SAY THAT?' 12:25 IF A PERSON SAYS SOMETHING THAT ISN'T TRUE, IT ISN'T ALWAYS 12:28 A LIE IF THEY'RE JUST IGNORANT AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW. 12:31 THERE ARE SOMETIMES STATEMENTS I HAVE MADE WHERE I THOUGHT IT 12:34 WAS THE TRUTH - I LATER FOUND OUT I HAD BAD EVIDENCE. 12:38 THAT'S NOT A LIE. YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? 12:40 SOME PEOPLE JUST ARE IGNORANT OF THE FACTS AND YOU'VE ALL MET 12:44 FOLKS THAT HAVE SAID SOMETHING AND THEY MAY HAVE BEEN 12:46 VERY SINCERE BUT THEY JUST DIDN'T KNOW ALL THE FACTS AND 12:49 THEY WEREN'T LYING, THEY WERE JUST SPEAKING AN UNTRUTH OR 12:53 MISINFORMED OR THEY MISSPOKE OR WHATEVER TERM YOU WANT. 12:56 LYING IS 'TO PRESENT FALSE INFORMATION WITH THE 13:00 INTENTION OF DECEIVING' - OR GETTING ELECTED TO PUBLIC OFFICE 13:05 - OH, I THREW THAT IN BUT WE KNOW THERE IS A CONNECTION. 13:10 SIN FIRST ENTERED THE WORLD THROUGH A LIE. 13:15 THE DEVIL SAID TO EVE - GENESIS 3:4, "YOU WILL NOT 13:18 SURELY DIE." 'GOD'S NOT GIVING YOU ALL THE FACTS.' HE SPOKE A 13:22 LIE FOR THE PURPOSE OF DECEIVING AND IT WORKED. 13:26 AND HE OUGHT TO KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE JESUS 13:28 SAID THE DEVIL IS THE FOUNDER OF LIES. 13:33 JOHN 8:44, HE SAID, "YOU ARE OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL, AND 13:37 THE DESIRES OF YOUR FATHER YOU WANT TO DO...WHEN HE SPEAKS A 13:41 LIE HE SPEAKS FROM HIS OWN RESOURCES," - HE'S GOT A PATENT 13:44 ON IT - "FOR HE IS A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF IT." AND SO, JUST 13:49 SO WE'RE NOT CONFUSED, JESUS IS THE TRUTH - HE'S THE EMBODIMENT 13:54 OF THE TRUTH. THE DEVIL IS THE 13:56 EMBODIMENT OF A LIE. DOES THAT MEAN THE DEVIL 13:58 CAN NEVER TELL THE TRUTH? NO - YES - IN THAT HE WILL 14:07 COMINGLE TRUTH WITH HIS LIES, BUT WHEN YOU MIX TRUTH 14:11 WITH LIES WHAT DO YOU HAVE? YOU HAVE LIES. 14:14 EVERYTHING THE DEVIL SAYS, EVEN WHEN HE MINGLES TRUTH WITH 14:17 LIES IS ULTIMATELY FOR DECEPTION, WHICH MAKES IT A LIE, 14:21 BUT THAT'S WHEN LIES ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS. 14:24 AND THE FBI, YOU KNOW, THEY STUDY THESE THINGS AND 14:28 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE - THEY DO IT FOR INTERVIEWS FOR 14:30 INTERROGATIONS AND THEY SAY THAT THE MOST CONVINCING LIARS AND 14:36 THE HARDEST TO SPOT ARE THE ONES THAT WILL TELL THE TRUTH IN SO 14:39 MANY OTHER AREAS WITH A LIE IN ONE SPOT SO THAT WHEN YOU CHECK 14:43 THEIR STORY - YOU KNOW, BAD LIARS TELL LIES ABOUT THINGS 14:46 THEY SHOULDN'T LIE ABOUT - THEY'RE EASILY CAUGHT. 14:49 I SHOULDN'T SAY BAD LIARS BECAUSE ALL LIARS ARE BAD 14:52 - UNSKILLED LIARS. POLICE CAN EASILY CATCH THEM - 14:59 PULL SOMEONE OVER - 'WHY WERE YOU SPEEDING?' 15:01 'I'M ON THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE MY WIFE'S HAVING 15:04 A BABY.' 'WHICH HOSPITAL?' 'UHHH, THE BIG ONE.' 15:09 'WHAT'S YOUR WIFE'S NAME?' 'UH, UH.' HIGHWAY PATROLMEN 15:14 ARE TRAINED TO ASK A FEW SIMPLE QUESTIONS. 15:16 IF A PERSON HAS A GOOD REASON FOR SPEEDING, THEY CAN ASK A FEW 15:19 SIMPLE QUESTIONS AND FIND OUT RIGHT AWAY IF THEY'RE TELLING 15:21 THE TRUTH. I WAS SPEEDING ON MY WAY BACK FROM A FUNERAL. 15:26 NOW, I DIDN'T TELL THE OFFICER THAT I HAD AN EXCUSE FOR 15:29 SPEEDING, WHAT I TOLD HIM WAS, 'CAN YOU HAVE MERCY ON ME? 15:32 I'VE HAD A ROUGH DAY. I HAD TO DRIVE A LONG WAY. 15:35 ONE OF MY DEAR FRIENDS DIED AND I'VE GOT TO GET BACK FOR 15:39 SOME RESPONSIBILITIES AND I'M SORRY.' HE SAID, 'WHAT WAS YOUR 15:42 FRIEND'S NAME?' 'BOB.' 'HOW OLD WAS HE?' 15:46 '45.' 'HOW DID HE DIE?' AND HE STARTED TO GRILL ME 15:49 WITH ALL THESE QUESTIONS ABOUT MY FRIEND AND HIS FUNERAL TO 15:52 SEE IF I WAS MAKING UP A STORY BECAUSE HE DIDN'T - HE THOUGHT, 15:54 'IF YOU ARE COMING FROM A FUNERAL, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE 15:56 YOUR DAY ANY WORSE.' AND HE SAW I'M DRESSED LIKE I JUST CAME 16:01 FROM A FUNERAL, AND HE LET ME GO. 16:03 BUT HE WAS CHECKING MY STORY AND WHAT REALLY MAKES IT 16:08 DANGEROUS IS WHEN YOU CAN MIX A LOT OF TRUTH WITH THE LIES, 16:13 THEY'RE HARD TO SPOT. THE DEVIL IS A MASTER AT THAT. 16:17 THERE'S A LOT OF - HOW MANY DIFFERENT CHRISTIAN 16:19 CHURCHES ARE THERE OUT THERE? 16:21 HOW MANY DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS? 16:23 DO THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF TRUTH? 16:25 THEY'VE GOT - OH, THEY'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM HAVE 16:27 A LOT OF TRUE THINGS BUT YOU MIX IN - THERE'S SOME - A FEW 16:32 DANGEROUS DOCTRINES MIXED IN, THAT MAKES IT ESPECIALLY 16:35 LETHAL. AND IN THE LAST DAYS WILL THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTING 16:41 CHRISTIANS THINK THAT THEY'RE SERVING GOD? 16:44 YEAH, BECAUSE THEY'LL HAVE TRUTH MIXED IN WITH THE ERROR. 16:48 PROVERBS 6, VERSE 16, "THESE SIX THINGS THE LORD HATES," - 16:53 YOU KNOW THAT LIST OF SEVEN THINGS? 16:55 - "YES, SEVEN ARE AN ABOMINATION TO HIM:" - NOW 16:58 NOTICE, IN THE LIST OF THINGS THAT GOD ESPECIALLY HATES - IT 17:02 SAYS HERE - "A PROUD LOOK, A LYING TONGUE, HANDS THAT SHED 17:08 INNOCENT BLOOD, A HEART THAT DEVISES WICKED PLANS, FEET THAT 17:12 ARE SWIFT IN RUNNING TO EVIL, A FALSE WITNESS WHO SPEAKS LIES, 17:17 AND ONE WHO SOWS DISCORD AMONG BRETHREN." 17:19 THREE OUT OF THE SEVEN ARE CONNECTED WITH DECEPTION AND 17:24 LYING - OF THE THINGS THAT GOD HATES. 17:28 HE DOESN'T JUST DISLIKE INTENSELY, HE HATES IT. 17:32 HE WANTS US TO BE A PEOPLE WHO ARE TELLING THE TRUTH. 17:37 YOU KNOW, IF CHRISTIANS ARE NOT IDENTIFIED AS A PEOPLE WHO 17:39 ARE HONEST - I HEARD A MAN WAS SHARING THAT HE WAS BUYING 17:50 SOMETHING - HE WAS GOING TO BUY A VEHICLE AND HE PULLED OUT 17:53 A CHECK - AND THE MAN SELLING THE VEHICLE SAID, 'I NEED A 17:59 CASHIER'S CHECK, I CAN'T TAKE A PERSONAL CHECK.' AND THE MAN 18:04 BUYING THE VEHICLE SAID, 'I'M A PASTOR.' HE SAID, 'I LIVE 18:07 LOCALLY.' HE SAID, 'THAT'S ALL THE MORE REASON - ALL THE MORE 18:13 REASON I NEED CASH.' HE SAID, 'I'VE NOT HAD GOOD EXPERIENCE 18:16 WITH YOU CHRISTIANS. I'VE BEEN CHEATED MANY TIMES. 18:20 I'VE BEEN LIED TO.' HE SAID, 'THAT'S ALL THE MORE 18:23 REASON.' THE PASTOR HAD TO DROP WHAT HE WAS DOING AND GO FIND AN 18:27 ATM AND TRY AND GET THE MONEY OUT. 18:29 HE CAME BACK AND SAID, 'I'M SORRY BUT THAT'S JUST THE 18:31 WAY IT IS.' SO WHEN IT SAYS THAT BELIEVERS SHOULD NOT BEAR FALSE 18:36 TESTIMONY, DOES THAT JUST MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT TO TELL LIES OR 18:41 DOES THAT ALSO MEAN WITH OUR LIVES? 18:43 AREN'T WE BEARING TESTIMONY WITH OUR LIVES AS WELL? 18:47 LIVING TRUTH FOR JESUS? PROVERBS 12:19, "THE 18:52 TRUTHFUL LIP SHALL BE ESTABLISHED FOREVER," - YOU SEE, 18:56 THIS COMMANDMENT IS NOT JUST SAYING DON'T LIE, IT'S A PROMISE 18:58 THAT LYING - MAKE YOUR LIFE SHORT - HONESTY - 19:04 MAKE YOUR LIFE LONG. SEE THAT? 19:07 - "THE TRUTHFUL LIP SHALL BE ESTABLISHED FOREVER, BUT A 19:10 LYING TONGUE IS BUT FOR A MOMENT." TURN WITH ME, TO 19:13 FURTHER ILLUSTRATE THIS, TO PSALM 15. 19:16 THIS IS A GREAT PSALM. YOU COULD PROBABLY 19:18 MEMORIZE THIS, IT'S SHORT. PSALM 15 - YOU GOT YOUR BIBLES? 19:21 I DON'T PUT ALL THESE ON THE SCREEN BECAUSE I STARTED 19:24 DOING THAT FOR A WHILE AND I THOUGHT, 'YOU'RE GOING TO GET 19:25 LAZY.' I WANT YOU TO USE YOUR BIBLES. 19:30 "LORD, WHO MAY ABIDE IN YOUR TABERNACLE? 19:32 WHO MAY DWELL IN YOUR HOLY HILL?" 19:35 WHO'S GOING TO LIVE IN GOD'S HOLY HILL? 19:37 WHO'S GOING TO BE DWELLING WITH GOD IN HEAVEN? 19:40 "HE WHO WALKS UPRIGHTLY, AND WORKS RIGHTEOUSNESS," - 19:43 NOTICE THIS - NOTICE - "AND SPEAKS THE TRUTH IN HIS HEART;" 19:48 - IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE HONESTY IN YOUR WORDS, WHERE 19:50 DOES IT START? 'OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF 19:52 THE HEART THE MOUTH SPEAKS.' YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE AN HONEST 19:55 HEART IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A TRUTHFUL TONGUE. 19:57 "SPEAKS THE TRUTH IN HIS HEART; WHO DOES NOT BACKBITE 20:01 WITH HIS TONGUE," - THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH 20:03 TRUTH - "NOR DOES EVIL TO HIS NEIGHBOR, NOR DOES HE TAKE UP A 20:07 REPROACH AGAINST HIS FRIEND;" - A REPROACH IS VERBAL - HE'S NOT 20:11 ACCUSING - "IN WHOSE EYES A VILE PERSON IS DESPISED, BUT HE 20:15 HONORS THOSE WHO FEAR THE LORD; HE WHO SWEARS TO HIS OWN 20:18 HURT AND DOES NOT CHANGE;" - HE MAKES A VOW AND HE KEEPS IT. 20:21 HE KEEPS WHAT HE SPEAKS WITH HIS LIPS - "HE WHO DOES NOT PUT 20:24 OUT HIS MONEY AT USURY, NOR DOES HE TAKE A BRIBE AGAINST THE 20:27 INNOCENT. HE WHO DOES THESE THINGS WILL 20:29 NEVER BE MOVED." WHO WILL LAST FOREVER? 20:32 HE THAT SPEAKS THE TRUTH. WE'VE GOT TO BE HONEST 20:37 ABOUT BEING HONEST. GOD WANTS HIS PEOPLE TO BE 20:40 A PEOPLE WHO ARE - CAN BE TRUSTED - WHO HAVE INTEGRITY. 20:45 PROVERBS 19:22, "WHAT IS DESIRED IN A MAN IS KINDNESS, 20:51 AND A POOR MAN IS BETTER THAN A LIAR." IF YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE 20:55 BETWEEN BEING RICH AND DECEPTIVE AND POOR BUT HONEST, WHAT'S 20:59 BETTER? BUT SOME PEOPLE HAVE TRADED 21:02 THEIR INTEGRITY FOR MONEY. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST - 21:10 THERE'S A LOT OF PRESSURE - EVEN IN LITTLE THINGS. 21:19 I REMEMBER - YOU KNOW, KIDS - EVEN THOUGH I GREW UP WITH 21:22 REALLY ALMOST NO RELIGIOUS TRAINING - I MEAN, I 21:25 WENT TO A CATHOLIC SCHOOL WHERE I REMEMBER LEARNING THE 21:27 BEATITUDES AND I HAD HEARD THE TEN COMMANDMENTS GOING TO JEWISH 21:30 SYNAGOGUE AND - BUT I REMEMBER STANDING IN THE THEATER MORE 21:34 THAN ONE TIME WITH MY MOTHER AND THERE WERE DIFFERENT PRICES FOR 21:38 THE CHILDREN AND SHE'D LIE ABOUT OUR AGES. 21:42 NOW IT WAS EASIER WITH MY BROTHER BECAUSE HE HAD CYSTIC 21:43 FIBROSIS - HE WAS SHORT AND SO MY BROTHER WAS LIKE 16 YEARS 21:48 OLD AND SHE WAS STILL TELLING PEOPLE HE WAS 11 SO SHE COULD 21:52 SAVE A FEW DOLLARS. AND I JUST - I ALWAYS THOUGHT, 21:55 'THIS IS WRONG.' EVEN THOUGH I HAD NO REAL MORAL COMPUNCTIONS, 21:58 I JUST KNEW THIS WAS WRONG. BUT THERE'S A LOT OF LITTLE 22:02 WAYS WHERE WE FUDGE AND LIE AND BEND THE TRUTH AND MODIFY THINGS 22:07 AND JUST TELL HALF-TRUTHS TO TRY AND GET SOME ADVANTAGE. 22:14 PROVERBS 12:22, "LYING LIPS ARE AN ABOMINATION TO THE LORD," 22:19 - THOSE ARE THINGS THAT GOD HATES - "BUT THOSE WHO DEAL 22:22 TRUTHFULLY ARE HIS DELIGHT." NOW LOOK AT THE CONTRAST THERE - IN 22:27 ONE IT'S VIEWED AS AN ABOMINATION WITH GOD. 22:30 TRY TO FIND - I CHALLENGE YOU - I BET YOU CAN'T DO IT - TRY TO 22:34 FIND SOME WORD IN THE BIBLE THAT GOD USES THAT'S STRONGER TO 22:38 EXPRESS HIS DISSATISFACTION THAN 'ABOMINATION'. 22:42 THAT MEANS IT IS A STENCH IN THE NOSTRILS OF GOD - BUT 22:47 TRUTHFULNESS IS A DELIGHT. THE LORD LOVES TRUTH. 22:51 HE LOOKS FOR TRUTH IN THE INNER PARTS OF OUR HEARTS. 22:54 BUT EVEN AMONG CHRISTIANS, SOME PEOPLE ARE BILINGUAL. 22:58 THEY CAN TELL THE TRUTH AND THEY CAN ALSO TELL LIES 23:01 AND THEY CAN SWITCH BACK AND FORTH. 23:03 AND IT'S STRANGE HOW SOME PEOPLE IN MANY AREAS THEY'RE 23:06 HONEST IN THEIR LIVES, BUT THEN IN SOME AREAS THEY FIGURE A 23:12 LITTLE DECEPTION IS OKAY. WE CALL IT EXAGGERATION. 23:18 IT'S THE TRUTH, IT'S JUST EMBELLISHED A LITTLE BIT. 23:24 EVANGELISTS ARE OFTEN ACCUSED OF THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE 23:27 FISHERMEN. 'HOW BIG WAS IT?' 23:29 'IT WAS THIS BIG.' ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA WERE CHURCH MEMBERS 23:37 THAT SOLD SOME PROPERTY AND GAVE THE MONEY TO THE CHURCH. 23:40 WHAT I JUST SAID IS TRUE. THEY SOLD SOME PROPERTY AND 23:42 GAVE THE MONEY TO THE CHURCH - THAT'S TRUE - AND 23:44 GOD KILLED THEM, WHY? BECAUSE THEY EXAGGERATED 23:49 HOW MUCH THEY GAVE. THEY GAVE SOME OF IT. 23:53 THEY WANTED TO MAKE PEOPLE THINK IT WAS MORE THAT IT REALLY 23:55 WAS. ISN'T THAT WHAT EXAGGERATION IS? 23:58 SAYING THINGS - AW, COME ON - YOU KNOW, I HOPE NO ONE WILL 24:03 THINK THAT THERE'S ANY CONNECTION BETWEEN THIS 24:05 SERMON ON HONESTY AND FATHER'S DAY. 24:07 I JUST - IT'S JUST THE WAY THE STARS LINED UP, BUT I KNOW A 24:10 LOT OF MEN THAT HAVE SAT AROUND THE CAMPFIRE AND EACH ONE TRIES 24:14 TO TOP THE OTHER'S STORY AND EVERY TIME WE TELL IT, IT GETS 24:17 BETTER AND BETTER. YOU'RE EVEN SMILING NOW AS 24:21 I SAY THAT BECAUSE YOU KNOW EXACTLY - SEE WHAT I MEAN? 24:23 'YEAH, UH.' I CAN MAKE IT JUST - YOU KNOW, A FEW MORE ADJECTIVES. 24:28 IT GETS BIGGER AND BIGGER. THE PASTOR WHO BAPTIZED 24:31 ME, HE CALLED ME ON THAT A COUPLE TIMES. 24:35 HE SAID, 'NOW BROTHER DOUG, YOU'RE NOT GIVEN TO 24:37 EXAGGERATION ARE YOU?' AND HE SAID, 'YOU KNOW,' 24:41 - AND HE SAID IT IN A VERY SMILING, FRIENDLY WAY - HE 24:44 SAID, 'EXAGGERATION AND LYING, THEY'RE VERY CLOSE. 24:49 MATTER OF FACT, THEY'RE THE SAME THING.' AND SO, SOMETIMES 24:53 I THINK WE SAY, 'OH YEAH, BUT THESE ARE HONEST PEOPLE BUT, YOU 24:56 KNOW, THEY TELL STORIES AND THEY JUST - THEY'RE A LITTLE MORE 24:59 EMBELLISHED AND' - GOD WANTS US TO BE HONEST. 25:04 DO YOU KNOW THE REASON THEY HAVE SOMETHING CALLED THE 'LIE 25:07 DETECTOR' IS BECAUSE YOU PHYSIOLOGICALLY HAVE A 25:10 REACTION WHEN YOU LIE, BUT YOU CAN BE TRAINED NOT TO. 25:15 NORMALLY, IF YOU'RE A HEALTHY, REGULAR PERSON - UNLESS 25:19 YOU'RE A PSYCHOPATHIC LIAR - YOU WILL HAVE A PHYSIOLOGICAL 25:23 REACTION TO LYING BECAUSE IT IS UNNATURAL. GOD DID NOT MAKE US 25:28 TO SPEAK A LIE. HE DESIGNED US TO SPEAK THE 25:32 TRUTH AND WHEN WE LIE THERE'S A PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTION. 25:35 NOW PEOPLE CAN BE TRAINED - THE CIA AND EVEN SOME MILITARY 25:39 BRANCHES, THEY CAN TRAIN A PERSON TO TAKE A LIE DETECTOR 25:41 TEST AND JUST GO RIGHT THROUGH IT AND THEY KNOW WHAT 25:44 THE DETECTIVE'S LOOKING FOR AND THEY KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO 25:46 THINK ABOUT SO THEY DON'T HAVE THOSE REACTIONS AND THEY CAN 25:49 LOOK LIKE THEY'RE TELLING THE TRUTH BUT MOST OF THE TIME THOSE 25:53 TESTS ARE PRETTY ACCURATE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT WIRED BY GOD 25:57 TO LIE. WE LEARN TO BE LIARS. 26:00 AND THE PROBLEM IS WE LEARN IT VERY YOUNG. 26:04 AND PARENTS - AND I'M GUILTY OF THIS - SOMETIMES WE DO NOT 26:10 CALL OUR CHILDREN TO BE STRICT ABOUT ACCURACY WITH THE FACTS. 26:16 AND BECAUSE WE DO NOT HOLD THEM TO THE FACTS - AND THEY 26:21 SAY, 'OH MAN THERE WERE 20 PEOPLE AT THE DOOR.' AND WE KNOW 26:24 THAT THERE WERE ACTUALLY THREE AND WE SAY, 'NO, HOW MANY WERE 26:28 THERE?' 'WOW, LIKE 20 PEOPLE.' 'WELL HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE 26:31 THERE?' 'THREE.' AND IF YOU DON'T CALL THEM ON LITTLE THINGS 26:35 LIKE THAT - AND I KNOW, YOU MIGHT THINK THAT'S FANATICAL. 26:39 IT GETS EASIER AND EASIER TO EXAGGERATE AND, YOU KNOW, 26:41 EXAGGERATE DRIFTS - 'I'M STARVING!' 26:44 'ARE YOU REALLY STARVING?' 'I'M JUST VERY HUNGRY.' 'WELL 26:49 THEN SAY YOU'RE VERY HUNGRY. HAVE YOU EVER STARVED?' 26:51 'NO.' 'HAVE YOU EVER GONE A DAY WITHOUT EATING?' 26:53 'NO.' 'YOU'RE NOT STARVING.' YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? 27:01 AND BECAUSE FROM INFANCY WE'RE PRETTY LAX ABOUT 27:05 EXAGGERATION, IT OPENS THE WAY TO EVERYTHING ELSE UNDER THE 27:09 SUN. GOD WANTS US TO BE HONEST. 27:13 THEN THERE'S THE SIN OF SLANDER. 27:16 THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE NOT JUST BEARING FALSE WITNESS, YOU 27:19 MAY NOT BE IN A COURT SETTING, BUT YOU'RE SAYING UNKIND THINGS 27:21 ABOUT ANOTHER. REPUTATIONS ARE OFTEN MURDERED WITH WORDS. 27:28 VITRIOLIC TONGUES AND PENS CAN ASSASSINATE CHARACTERS. 27:32 ONE REASON YOU'RE NOT TO BEAR FALSE WITNESS IS BECAUSE 27:34 YOU CAN HURT A PERSON'S NAME AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MOST 27:38 PRECIOUS THINGS A PERSON HAS IS THEIR NAME. 27:40 AND SOMETIMES WE ASSASSINATE, MURDER, AND ATTACK 27:42 PEOPLE'S REPUTATIONS. SO IMPORTANT IS HUMAN SPEECH 27:46 THAT TWO OUT OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 27:47 REGULATE THE TONGUE. REMEMBER THE THIRD COMMANDMENT? 27:51 'DO NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD IN VAIN.' AND THEN 27:53 YOU'VE GOT THIS COMMANDMENT: 'DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS.' WE'VE 27:55 GOT A LOT OF PROBLEMS SOMETIMES - THAT SPOT BELOW THE NOSE AND 27:59 ABOVE THE CHIN - YOU KNOW, GOD CAN BE VERY GENEROUS WHEN IT 28:03 CAME TO GIVING US EYES - GAVE US TWO EARS, TWO NOSTRILS - BUT 28:08 WHEN IT CAME TO THE TONGUE HE SAID WE CAN BARELY HANDLE ONE SO 28:12 WE'VE JUST GOT ONE MOUTH BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE TALK ABOUT THINGS 28:16 WE SHOULDN'T TALK ABOUT. PROVERBS 10:18, "WHOEVER HIDES 28:20 HATRED HAS LYING LIPS, AND WHOEVER SPREADS SLANDER IS A 28:25 FOOL." WE HEAR THINGS ABOUT OTHERS AND WE SPREAD IT AROUND. 28:30 PSALMS 101, VERSE 5, "WHOEVER SECRETLY SLANDERS HIS 28:33 NEIGHBOR, HIM I WILL DESTROY;" HAVE YOU EVER HEARD SOME LITTLE 28:39 TIDBIT - JUICY GOSSIP ABOUT SOMEBODY - YOU HAVE NO FACTS TO 28:42 PROVE IT'S TRUE BUT IT'S INTERESTING IN HEARING AND IT'S 28:45 INTERESTING IN TELLING SO YOU PASS IT ON. 28:50 HOW DOES THE LORD FEEL ABOUT THAT? 28:53 'HIM I WILL DESTROY.' GOSSIP IS SERIOUS BUSINESS WITH GOD. 28:59 PROVERBS 11:13, "A TALEBEARER REVEALS SECRETS, BUT 29:02 HE WHO IS OF A FAITHFUL SPIRIT CONCEALS A MATTER." THEY SAY IF 29:07 ANY TWO PEOPLE KNOW A SECRET IT'S NOT A SECRET ANYMORE 29:10 BECAUSE OF HUMAN NATURE. CAN'T WAIT TO TELL - YOU'VE GOT 29:12 INSIDE INFORMATION - BECAUSE THAT'S POWER WHEN YOU'VE 29:15 GOT INSIDE INFORMATION. 'I'M THE GO-TO PERSON. 29:18 YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON? I'VE GOT THE SCOOP.' 29:22 MY MOTHER WAS A FILM CRITIC IN HOLLYWOOD. 29:24 DO YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF A DOG-EAT-DOG WORLD THAT IS? 29:27 AND SHE HAD ALL THESE RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL 29:29 THESE PEOPLE AND SHE WOULD TRADE INFORMATION. 29:31 IT WAS CURRENCY - TO FIND OUT ALL THE JUICY TIDBITS AND PEOPLE 29:34 WANTED TO HEAR IT. IT'S SORT OF A 29:37 RUTHLESS BUSINESS. BUT IT'S SLIMY AND PEOPLE 29:43 JUST WANT TO KNOW 'WHAT'S THE LATEST SCANDAL?' 29:46 AND WHAT BIT OF JUICY GOSSIP? AND WE MAY NOT BE LIVING IN 29:49 THE WORLD OF HOLLYWOOD, BUT IT STILL HAPPENS IN THE CHURCH TOO. 29:52 TRADING INFORMATION - THE CURRENCY OF POWER - WHAT 29:57 YOU KNOW AND WHAT YOU CAN TELL ABOUT SOMEBODY ELSE. 30:01 AND EVERY CHURCH HAS A GABRIELLA GOSSIP OR TWO. 30:07 AND THERE MIGHT BE A GEORGE GOSSIP - THAT WASN'T A SLAM 30:11 AGAINST JUST THE WOMEN. MATTER OF FACT, I'VE HAD 30:15 SOME CHURCHES I'VE PASTORED WHERE, IF I HAD SOME INFORMATION 30:17 I NEEDED TO GET OUT, I KNEW JUST WHO TO CALL AND SAY, 'MAKE SURE 30:21 YOU DON'T TELL ANYBODY.' AND THEN I KNEW IT WAS GOING 30:25 TO GO TO EVERYBODY. IT WAS A ONE-MAN CALLING TREE. 30:34 THE SIN OF SLANDER - PROVERBS 18:8, "THE WORDS OF A 30:37 TALEBEARER ARE LIKE TASTY TRIFLES, AND THEY GO DOWN INTO 30:40 THE INMOST BELLY." SOMETHING ABOUT THAT BIT OF GOSSIP THAT 30:44 IT'S JUST LIKE SOME KIND OF FORBIDDEN DESSERT. 30:48 LEVITICUS 19:16, "YOU SHALL NOT GO ABOUT" - THIS IS A 30:51 COMMAND - THOU SHALL NOT - "GO ABOUT AS A TALEBEARER AMONG YOUR 30:56 PEOPLE." LOOSE TRANSLATION - DO NOT BE A GOSSIP - NO, IT'S 31:03 ACTUALLY 'THOU SHALT NOT GOSSIP.' BUT WE DO. 31:11 AND, BOY, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALL NEED TO PRAY ABOUT. 31:17 SOMETIMES I'VE HEARD A LOT OF GOSSIP THAT HAS BEEN 31:20 DISGUISED AS A PRAYER REQUEST. 'YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOMETHING 31:24 I NEED TO TELL YOU SO YOU CAN PRAY ABOUT IT.' AND IT'S LIKE WE 31:28 SAY 'SO YOU CAN PRAY ABOUT IT' THAT SORT OF PAVES THE WAY FOR 31:30 YOU TO TELL ABOUT TERRIBLE THINGS GOING ON. 31:33 'YOU NEED TO PRAY FOR THIS FAMILY. DID YOU KNOW?' 31:35 AND THEN THEY BEGIN TO GOSSIP AND THERE'S VERY LITTLE 31:39 PRAYING THAT GOES ON BUT THERE'S ALL KINDS OF MENTAL MASTICATION 31:43 OF THE JUICY TIDBITS. BETTER TO BE SILENT. 31:50 BY THE WAY, TELL THE TRUTH ALWAYS, BUT DON'T ALWAYS 31:54 BE TELLING IT. GOD ALWAYS WANTS US TO TELL 31:58 THE TRUTH BUT WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE TELLING 32:01 EVERYTHING THAT YOU KNOW. SOMETIMES A GOOD PART OF 32:08 CHRISTIANITY IS TO NOT SPEAK EVERYTHING YOU KNOW. 32:11 EVEN JESUS SAID TO THE APOSTLES, 'I HAVE MANY THINGS TO 32:13 TELL YOU NOW BUT YOU CAN'T HANDLE IT.' AND HE DIDN'T TELL 32:15 THEM. AT HIS OWN TRIAL, JESUS HAD A 32:19 LOT OF THINGS HE COULD HAVE SAID BUT HE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING. 32:23 SOMETIMES WE NEED TO KNOW WHEN TO JUST NOT SAY ANYTHING. 32:26 HAVE YOU READ THERE IN - GO WITH ME - THIS ISN'T IN MY NOTES 32:30 BUT IT JUST KIND OF CAME TO ME NOW - I HOPE IT'S THE LORD. 32:32 GO WITH ME TO ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 5 - WHILE 32:35 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF THE TONGUE - VERSE 1, - 32:39 ECCLESIASTES 5, VERSE 1, "WALK PRUDENTLY WHEN YOU GO TO THE 32:42 HOUSE OF GOD; AND DRAW NEAR TO HEAR RATHER THAN TO GIVE THE 32:47 SACRIFICE OF FOOLS," - OPPOSITE OF HEARING IS SPEAKING - THAT'S 32:51 THE SACRIFICE OF FOOLS - "FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW THAT THEY DO 32:53 EVIL. DO NOT BE RASH WITH YOUR 32:55 MOUTH," - IT DOESN'T SAY DON'T EVER SPEAK ANYTHING, BUT DON'T 32:58 DO IT RASHLY - THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK - "AND LET NOT YOUR HEART 33:02 UTTER ANYTHING HASTILY BEFORE GOD. 33:05 FOR GOD IS IN HEAVEN, AND YOU ON EARTH; THEREFORE LET YOUR 33:08 WORDS BE FEW." HE - WE'LL GIVE AN ACCOUNT TO GOD FOR EVERY IDLE 33:12 WORD WE SPEAK. ISN'T THAT WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS? 33:16 - "FOR A DREAM COMES THROUGH MUCH ACTIVITY AND A 33:18 FOOL'S VOICE IS KNOWN FOR HIS MANY WORDS. 33:21 WHEN YOU MAKE A VOW TO GOD, DO NOT DELAY TO PAY IT;" - 33:24 THERE AGAIN, WORDS - BEING HONEST - "FOR HE HAS NO PLEASURE 33:28 IN FOOLS. PAY WHAT YOU HAVE VOWED - BETTER 33:30 NOT TO VOW THAN TO VOW AND NOT PAY. 33:34 DO NOT LET YOUR MOUTH CAUSE YOUR FLESH TO SIN, NOR SAY 33:37 BEFORE THE MESSENGER OF GOD THAT IT WAS AN ERROR. 33:40 WHY SHOULD GOD BE ANGRY AT YOUR EXCUSE AND DESTROY THE WORK 33:42 OF YOUR HANDS? FOR IN THE MULTITUDE OF DREAMS 33:45 AND MANY WORDS THERE IS ALSO VANITY. 33:48 BUT FEAR GOD." MANY WORDS IS ALSO VANITY. 33:52 GOD - PART OF A DEFINITION BIBLICALLY OF A 33:55 GOD-FEARING PERSON IS THEY'RE CAREFUL WITH THEIR WORDS. 33:58 IT SAYS HERE - PSALM 52:2, "YOUR TONGUE DEVISES 34:02 DESTRUCTION, LIKE A SHARP RAZOR, WORKING DECEITFULLY." SOMEONE IN 34:07 A BOOK CALLED - SCHENCK WROTE A BOOK ON THE TEN COMMANDMENTS - 34:10 "BY HOLDING OUR PEACE WHEN WE HAVE IT IN OUR POWER TO DEFEND" 34:15 - WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT HERE - I SHOULD SET THIS UP - YOU CAN 34:19 TELL A LIE BY SAYING NOTHING. SOMETIMES WE LIE WITH A WINK 34:24 OR BY BLATANTLY SAYING A LIE. SOMETIMES WE LIE THROUGH 34:28 SILENCE AND THIS IS WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT. 34:32 "BY HOLDING OUR PEACE WHEN WE HAVE IT IN OUR POWER TO 34:34 DEFEND, BY FAILING TO MENTION THE GOOD WHEN THE EVIL IS SPOKEN 34:38 OF, BY ENCOURAGING THE TELLING OF EVIL BY EAGER LISTENING, WE 34:43 ASSAULT THE REPUTATION OF OUR NEIGHBOR AND BY THE ASCENT OF 34:47 OUR SILENCE." AND SOMETIMES SILENCE IS GOLDEN, SOMETIMES 34:51 SILENCE IS YELLOW. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? 34:55 YELLOW LIKE IN COWARDICE. AND GOD WANTS US TO SPEAK UP. 35:00 SOMETIMES SAYING NOTHING WHEN YOU KNOW THE TRUTH AND 35:01 EVERYONE ELSE IS BELIEVING A LIE IS ENDORSING A LIE. 35:08 I FOUND THIS OLD POEM TALKING ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT 35:12 NATIONS OF THE WORLD AND HOW THEY'VE GOT PROVERBS ABOUT TRUTH 35:15 AND THE TONGUE - LISTEN TO THIS: "'THE BONELESS TONGUE SO SMALL 35:20 AND WEAK CAN CRUSH AND KILL,' DECLARES THE GREEK. 35:23 'THE TONGUE DECLARES A GREATER HOARD,' THE TURK 35:26 ASSERTS, 'THAN DOES THE SWORD.' THE PERSIAN PROVERB 35:30 WISELY SAYETH, A LENGTHY TONGUE AN EARLY DEATH.' OR SOMETIMES 35:34 TAKES THIS FORM INSTEAD, 'DON'T LET YOUR TONGUE CUT OFF YOUR 35:38 HEAD.' 'THE TONGUE CAN SPEAK A WORD WITH SPEED,' SAYS THE 35:42 CHINESE, 'OUTSTRIPS THE STEED.' WHILE THE ARAB SAGE DOTH 35:46 THIS IMPART, 'THE TONGUE'S GREAT STOREHOUSE IS THE HEART.' FROM 35:51 HEBREW HATH THE MAXIM SPRUNG, 'THOUGH FEET SHOULD SLIP, NE'ER 35:56 LET THE TONGUE.' THE SACRED WRITER CROWNS THE WHOLE: 'WHO 36:00 KEEPS HIS TONGUE DOTH KEEP THE SOUL.'" EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD 36:05 KNOWS THAT A LOT OF TROUBLE CAN COME FROM THE TONGUE. 36:10 NOW, IS THERE SUCH A THING AS A HALF-TRUTH OR A WHITE LIE? 36:16 WHEN ABRAHAM WENT DOWN TO EGYPT DURING A FAMINE AND, I 36:20 GUESS, SARAH MUST HAVE REALLY BEEN A GOOD-LOOKING LADY, 36:25 BECAUSE HE WAS SO AFRAID THAT EVEN AFTER SHE WAS OVER 60 YEARS 36:29 OF AGE HE THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE GOING TO KILL HIM FOR HIS WIFE. 36:34 AND HE SAID, 'SARAH, LOOK, LET'S HAVE A LITTLE TALK. 36:37 YOU KNOW WE ARE HALF-BROTHER/HALF-SISTER. 36:41 WE'VE GOT THE SAME FATHER, DIFFERENT MOTHERS.' DID 36:42 YOU KNOW THAT? HE SAID, 'LET'S FORGET ABOUT 36:44 THE MARRIAGE PART WHEN WE GET TO EGYPT, JUST SAY THAT YOU'RE 36:47 MY SISTER BECAUSE THEY'LL PROBABLY KILL ME AND TAKE 36:50 YOU.' I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE WAS SO AFRAID OF. 36:52 HE HAD 300 SOLDIERS IN HIS HOUSEHOLD. 36:55 HE HAD HIS OWN BODYGUARD. WAS IT TRUE? 36:58 WAS SHE HIS SISTER? YES, BUT WASN'T IT IMPORTANT 37:03 THAT HE LET THE PHARAOH KNOW THAT 'THIS IS MY WIFE'? 37:07 ESPECIALLY WHEN PHARAOH TOOK HER TO BE PART OF HIS HAREM. 37:10 SHOULDN'T HE HAVE SAID SOMETHING? 37:12 BUT HE HELD HIS PEACE. HALF-TRUTH. 37:16 ABRAHAM, FATHER OF THE FAITH - BY THE WAY, CHILDREN LEARN 37:19 FROM THEIR PARENTS - YEARS LATER ISAAC DID THE SAME THING 37:22 WITH THE PHILISTINES. HE SAID TO REBEKAH - SHE 37:24 WAS ALSO BEAUTIFUL - THOSE JEWISH GIRLS BACK THEN MUST 37:26 HAVE BEEN REALLY GOOD LOOKING. HE SAID, 'CAN YOU LIE AND 37:29 TELL ABIMALECH THAT YOU'RE MY SISTER? 37:32 THEN ABIMALECH LOOKS OUT HIS WINDOW AND ISAAC IS GETTING 37:35 VERY COY AND FLIRTATIOUS WITH HIS SISTER. 37:38 AND HE SAID, 'I SAW YOU SPORTING WITH YOUR SISTER. 37:40 SHE'S NOT YOUR SISTER, SHE'S YOUR WIFE. 37:42 YOU LIED.' 'WELL, BUT SHE'S MY FIRST COUSIN.' WHICH, 37:47 TECHNICALLY, IN THE HEBREW CULTURE WAS CALLED A SISTER AND 37:52 SO IT WAS A HALF-TRUTH - OR WAS IT A WHOLE LIE? 37:56 THESE PATRIARCHS LIED. SOMETIMES THEY LIED - WHEN 38:00 YOU SEE BIBLE CHARACTERS LIE IT'S NOT A 38:02 JUSTIFICATION FOR LYING. CAN YOU NAME PEOPLE IN 38:05 THE BIBLE THAT LIED? RAHAB LIED, DIDN'T SHE? 38:11 OF COURSE, PEOPLE SAY, 'WELL RAHAB LIED!' 38:13 SHE WAS A PROSTITUTE TOO. WE'RE NOT ENDORSING 38:15 THAT, ARE WE? I MEAN, SHE WAS A 38:17 PAGAN COMING IN. SHE LIED, SHE DID SAVE THEM. 38:21 DURING WAR YOU'LL OFTEN FIND THEY USED DECEPTION. 38:24 DIDN'T JOSHUA USE DECEPTION WHEN THEY PRETENDED THEY WERE 38:27 RETREATING AND IT WAS REALLY A TRAP? THEY WERE DRAWING THE 38:30 PEOPLE OF AI - THE SOLDIERS OF AI WERE BEING DRAWN INTO A TRAP. 38:33 WHEN DAVID REALIZED THAT THE PHILISTINES WERE GETTING A 38:37 LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT HIM WALKING AROUND AMONG THEM 38:40 CARRYING GOLIATH'S SWORD, HE STARTED TO DROOL ON HIS BEARD 38:44 AND SCRATCH ON THE GATE AND ACT LIKE A MAD MAN. 38:47 IS THAT HONEST OR IS THAT DECEPTION? 38:52 IS GOD ENDORSING LYING OR DID THEY JUST DO IT BACK THEN 38:55 AND HE'S JUST TELLING US WHAT THEY DID? 38:59 WAS DAVID BEING DECEPTIVE WHEN HE TRIED TO COVER UP WHAT 39:03 HAPPENED WITH BATHSHEBA? HOW ABOUT PETER WHEN HE 39:06 DENIED KNOWING JESUS? WAS THAT A LIE? 39:11 SO THERE'S A LOT OF LYING THAT WENT ON, BUT IT'S NOT 39:13 AN ENDORSEMENT FOR LYING. GOD JUST GIVES A FAITHFUL 39:16 HISTORY OF WHAT HIS PEOPLE DID. TELL ME ABOUT WHEN JESUS LIED. 39:25 HE NEVER DID, DID HE? EVERYTHING HE SAID 39:28 WAS THE TRUTH. WHO IS IT THAT WE FOLLOW? 39:33 WE HAD A VERY INTERESTING DISCUSSION IN THE 39:34 BATCHELOR HOUSE LAST NIGHT DURING WORSHIP AND WE WERE 39:39 READING PART OF A BOOK BY DIETRICH BONHOEFFER AND THE 39:44 SCENARIO WAS PRESENTED WHERE, DURING THE NAZI OCCUPATION, FOR 39:49 INSTANCE, IF YOU WERE HIDING JEWS IN YOUR HOUSE AND THEY WERE 39:52 YOUR FRIENDS AND SOLDIERS CAME TO THE DOOR AND SAID, 'DO YOU 39:55 HAVE ANY JEWS HERE?' IF YOU SAY 'YES' THEY'RE 39:58 GOING TO BE KILLED. WHAT DO YOU DO? 40:03 IT'S KIND OF A DILEMMA, ISN'T IT? A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN 40:06 FACED WITH THAT. I'M NOT SURE WE HAD AGREEMENT 40:10 IN OUR FAMILY ABOUT HOW YOU DEAL WITH THAT. 40:12 IT WAS A VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION. 40:14 I TOOK THE OLD-FASHIONED VIEW THAT DO WHAT JESUS WOULD DO 40:17 AND EITHER SAY NOTHING OR FIND SOME WAY TO SPEAK THE TRUTH AND 40:21 NOT TURN IN YOUR FRIENDS. LOOK FOR ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVE. 40:24 BUT, YOU KNOW, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THAT AND 40:28 YOU PROBABLY WILL BE A LITTLE EXERCISED ABOUT THAT 40:30 AMONGST YOURSELVES. HOPEFULLY YOU'LL THINK ABOUT 40:32 THOSE KIND OF QUESTIONS, BUT IN REALITY THAT'S NOT THE TIME 40:35 WE USUALLY HAVE TROUBLE WITH LYING. 40:38 GOD, PLEASE LET THAT BE THE ONLY TIME THAT YOUR CHURCH HAS 40:42 TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT TO DO. I WISH THAT WAS THE PROBLEM 40:45 AND WE HAD TO WORRY ABOUT LYING UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES. 40:48 IN REALITY THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE. 40:50 IT'S A LOT MORE ELEMENTARY WHERE WE STRUGGLE. 40:54 INSTEAD OF THESE PHILOSOPHICAL CONUNDRUMS THAT WE 40:57 DEVELOP ABOUT 'WHAT DO YOU DO IN A CASE LIKE THIS?' 40:59 - THAT'S NOT WHAT WE GRAPPLE WITH. 41:01 WE GRAPPLE WITH LYING ON JUST A VERY BASIC LEVEL - BEING 41:05 DISHONEST WITH OUR SPOUSES. 'WHERE WERE YOU?' 41:11 'WELL, I WENT TO WAL-MART.' WELL, YOU DID GO TO 41:14 WAL-MART BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE YOU WERE THE LAST THREE HOURS. 41:18 AND SO, WE'RE NOT REALLY SAYING WHERE WE WERE. 41:23 OR YOUR PARENTS ASK THAT QUESTION - THERE'S ALL 41:27 KINDS OF SHADY ANSWERS THAT WE GIVE AND WE'RE CHRISTIANS. 41:31 SOMETIMES WITH OUR BODY LANGUAGE - THE FOLDING OF OUR 41:33 ARMS AND THE SHAPE OF OUR HEAD AND THE SHRUG OF THE SHOULDERS 41:38 WE CAN TELL A LIE, AMEN? HALF-TRUTHS - YOU EVER SAY 41:44 YOU'RE GLAD TO SEE SOMEONE WHEN YOU'RE REALLY NOT? 41:48 OR YOU TELL THEM, 'HEY, NEXT TIME WE GET TOGETHER WE'LL 41:50 HAVE LUNCH.' AND YOU'RE THINKING, 'BOY, I HOPE THAT'S 41:52 NOT ANY TIME SOON.' OR SOMEONE SAYS, 'HOW ARE YOU DOING?' 41:57 AND YOU SAY, 'FINE.' AND YOU'RE ANYTHING BUT FINE, YOU KNOW WHAT 42:00 I'M SAYING? GOD WANTS US TO BE HONEST. 42:07 SO WHY DO PEOPLE LIE? WELL, FOR ONE THING, 42:10 THEY MIGHT BE AFRAID. DID SARAH LIE WHEN THE 42:14 ANGEL SAID, 'I HEARD YOU LAUGHING'? 42:16 I MEAN, WHEN GOD SAYS, 'WERE YOU LAUGHING AT MY PROMISE?' 42:18 'OH NO, I DIDN'T LAUGH.' HE SAID, 'OH YES YOU DID LAUGH.' 42:23 SHE LIED, WHY? SHE WAS AFRAID. PEOPLE OFTEN LIE 42:27 BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID. IS THAT AN EXCUSE? 42:30 SOMETIMES - OH, AND WHY DID PETER LIE WHEN THE GIRL SAID 42:36 'DON'T YOU KNOW HIM?' HE WAS PROBABLY AFRAID. 42:39 SOMETIMES PEOPLE LIE BECAUSE THEY WANT PERSONAL GAIN 42:44 OR SOME REWARD. WHY DID JACOB LIE TO HIS 42:47 FATHER AND PRETEND TO BE ESAU? HE WANTED TO GET THAT BLESSING. 42:53 SOMETIMES A PERSON WANTS A REWARD OR THEY WANT A JOB. 42:57 YOU KNOW, I FORGET WHAT THE PERCENTAGES WERE BUT I THINK 42:59 IT WAS OVER 50% OF PEOPLE EXAGGERATED OR LIED ON 43:04 THEIR RESUMES WHEN APPLYING FOR JOBS. 43:07 MADE IT LOOK LIKE THEY HAD A LITTLE MORE EXPERIENCE OR THEY 43:09 WERE A LITTLE MORE APPRECIATED THAN THEY REALLY 43:11 WERE. SOMETIMES PEOPLE DO IT TO WIN APPROVAL. 43:17 IN 2 SAMUEL 1:10 THIS SOLDIER COMES TO DAVID - HE HAD 43:21 FOUND SAUL DEAD ON THE BATTLEFIELD AND HE THOUGHT DAVID 43:23 WAS GOING TO BE HAPPY BECAUSE EVERYONE KNEW SAUL WAS HUNTING 43:25 DAVID'S LIFE - THEY JUST DIDN'T KNOW DAVID VERY WELL. 43:29 HE HAD NO ANIMOSITY TOWARDS SAUL. 43:32 DAVID KNEW HOW TO LOVE EVEN HIS ENEMIES. 43:34 THIS SOLDIER CAME AND HE BROUGHT THE BRACELET AND CROWN 43:36 OF KING SAUL - HE SAID, 'I KILLED HIM.' - EXPECTING A 43:39 REWARD. HE LIED. 43:41 HE DIDN'T KILL HIM, SAUL KILLED HIMSELF. 43:43 AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT LIAR? 43:46 DAVID SAID, 'HOW DARE YOU LIFT YOUR SWORD AGAINST GOD'S 43:48 ANOINTED AND HE HAD ONE OF HIS YOUNG MEN - SOLDIERS - BY 43:52 HIM AND HE SAID, 'SLAY THAT MAN.' HE WAS TELLING A LIE 43:55 HOPING FOR A REWARD TO GET SOME APPROVAL. 44:01 I REMEMBER I WENT FROM SCHOOL IN NEW YORK CITY - I WAS IN A 44:04 JEWISH SCHOOL IN NEW YORK CITY - MY FATHER KIDNAPPED MY BROTHER 44:08 AND I AT SUMMER CAMP AND TOOK US DOWN TO FLORIDA AND PUT US IN 44:10 A CATHOLIC SCHOOL. I DIDN'T KNOW ANYBODY - CALLED 44:13 ST. PATRICK'S - AND I - IT WAS PARTWAY THROUGH THE SCHOOL. 44:16 IT HAD ALREADY STARTED AND I WAS JUST AN OUTSIDER AND I 44:18 DIDN'T KNOW ANYBODY AND I WANTED SO MUCH TO BE LIKED. 44:22 AND SO 'WHO ARE YOU?' 'I'M DOUG.' 'WHERE ARE YOU FROM?' 44:25 'I'M FROM NEW YORK.' - MY MOTHER WAS IN SHOW BUSINESS AND 44:29 I HAD FRIENDS THAT WERE ACTORS AND I SAID, 'I'M A CHILD ACTOR.' 44:34 'OH REALLY? WHAT DID YOU ACT IN?' 44:36 I WASN'T AN ACTOR. 'WHAT DID YOU' - WELL MY MOM 44:39 HAD TAKEN ME TO SEE OLIVER TWIST. 44:40 I SAID, 'I WAS AN ACTOR IN OLIVER TWIST.' 'REALLY?' 44:44 - THE NUN IS NOW ASKING ME THIS, YOU KNOW? 44:47 'WHAT PART DID YOU PLAY?' 'I WAS OLIVER.' 44:54 SEE, YOU'RE LAUGHING. SHE SAID, 'WELL THAT'S 44:58 A MUSICAL ISN'T IT?' I SAID 'YES.' SHE SAID, 'CAN YOU 45:00 SING ONE OF THE SONGS FOR US?' WELL, THE CAT WAS OUT OF THE 45:06 BAG AFTER THE FIRST FEW LINES. BUT YOU KNOW WHY I DID IT? 45:11 I WANTED TO BE ACCEPTED. I DIDN'T KNOW ANYBODY HERE. 45:15 I'M A JEWISH BOY IN A CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SO I WAS 45:18 TRYING TO GET SOME APPROVAL. BIG LIAR. 45:21 BOY, YEAH, I WISH I COULD TELL YOU THAT WAS THE ONLY 45:24 WHOPPER I'D EVER TOLD BUT, NO. VENGEANCE. 45:30 SOME PEOPLE TELL LIES TO HURT SOMEONE ELSE. 45:33 THEY CONCOCT A STORY SOMETIMES TO DESTROY A PERSON'S 45:37 REPUTATION. YOU REMEMBER WHEN 45:38 POTIPHAR'S WIFE - WHEN HER ADVANCES WERE SPURNED, SHE LIED 45:44 ABOUT JOSEPH AND SAID, 'HE TRIED TO RAPE ME.' HAD HIM PUT IN JAIL 45:49 - IT'S CALLED BEARING FALSE TESTIMONY. 45:53 I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED AFTER JOSEPH BECAME PRIME 45:55 MINISTER? DID HE STILL HAVE HER ADDRESS? 45:59 THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY INTERESTING TO PLAY THE 46:00 VIDEO BACK IN HEAVEN AND FIND OUT HOW HE DEALT WITH THAT. 46:03 I'M THINKING HE FORGAVE HER. I THINK IT PROBABLY WAS ENOUGH 46:06 FOR JOSEPH WHEN HIS CHARIOT WENT DOWN THE STREET AND EVERYBODY 46:08 BOWED DOWN - HE'D SEE HER IN THE CROWD. 46:14 SOME DO IT FOR VENGEANCE. GOD WANTS US TO BE 46:17 TRUE WITNESSES. HE WANTS US TO BE HONEST. 46:22 LUKE 12, VERSES 8 AND 9, JESUS SAID, "ALSO I SAY TO 46:25 YOU, WHOEVER CONFESSES ME BEFORE MEN, HIM THE SON OF MAN ALSO 46:30 WILL CONFESS BEFORE THE ANGELS OF GOD. 46:32 BUT HE WHO DENIES ME BEFORE MEN WILL BE DENIED BEFORE THE 46:36 ANGELS OF GOD." YOU KNOW, ONE COMMANDMENT SAYS 'THOU SHALT NOT 46:39 TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD IN VAIN.' THAT DOESN'T MEAN JUST 46:42 DON'T CURSE, THAT ALSO MEANS IF YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE THE NAME OF 46:46 CHRISTIAN, DON'T DO IT IN VAIN, LIVE AS A CHRISTIAN. 46:50 AND WHEN IT SAYS, 'DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR 46:53 NEIGHBOR' IT DOESN'T JUST MEAN DON'T ACCUSE YOUR NEIGHBOR, 46:57 IN THE WITNESS BOX, OF DOING SOMETHING THEY'RE NOT 46:59 GUILTY OF, IT MEANS DO NOT BE A BAD WITNESS BEFORE YOUR 47:03 NEIGHBOR, OF YOUR CHRISTIANITY. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE. 47:09 TELL THEM WHAT YOU BELIEVE. 47:11 I REMEMBER ONE OF THE SAD INDICTMENTS THAT I RECEIVED 47:14 AFTER YEARS OF BEING IN A CERTAIN TOWN AND KNOWING SOME 47:17 PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, I WAS TALKING IN THE SUPERMARKET 47:20 WITH ONE GAL THERE AND I MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT 47:23 CHRISTIANITY AND SHE SAID, 'OH, YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN? 47:26 I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.' AND SHE DIDN'T MEAN IT AS AN INSULT, BUT 47:31 I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, 'WOW, I'VE KNOWN THIS PERSON FOR SEVERAL 47:34 YEARS. WHAT KIND OF A CHRISTIAN AM I?' 47:37 SHE HAD NO IDEA BECAUSE I'D LOST SO MANY - GIVEN UP, I 47:42 SHOULD SAY - SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO BE A WITNESS. 47:46 EPHESIANS 4:15, "BUT, SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE," - 47:50 THAT'S OUR SERMON TITLE - "...SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE, 47:52 MAY GROW UP IN ALL THINGS" - SOMETIMES BECAUSE WE SAY, 'I 47:57 WANT TO BE HONEST' - WE SAY MEAN, CUTTING THINGS TO ANOTHER 48:00 PERSON UNDER THE PRETENSE OF BEING HONEST AND WE'RE JUST 48:03 BEING MEAN. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY EVERYTHING YOU KNOW AND YOU 48:08 DON'T HAVE TO SAY EVERYTHING YOU THINK TO STILL BE AN HONEST 48:10 PERSON. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? 48:13 WE NEED TO SPEAK THE TRUTH AND DO IT IN LOVE. 48:15 AND SOMETIMES, IF YOU CAN'T SAY ANYTHING NICE, YOU DON'T HAVE 48:18 TO SAY ANYTHING. GOD HAS NOT APPOINTED US TO BE 48:20 THE CRITICS AND THE JUDGES OF THE WORLD. 48:24 IF YOU'RE GOING TO SPEAK, SPEAK THE TRUTH AND DO IT IN LOVE. 48:28 NOW, YOU KNOW WHY THIS SUBJECT'S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT? 48:30 AND I'M CONCLUDING NOW. 48:34 THE WHOLE WORLD IS SOON TO BE DECEIVED. 48:37 THE BIBLE SAYS THE DEVIL, THAT DRAGON, 'THAT SERPENT THAT 48:42 DECEIVETH THE WHOLE WORLD' IS COMING DOWN WITH GREAT WRATH. 48:47 AND SOME PEOPLE WANT TO BE DECEIVED. 48:50 IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE A LOVE OF THE TRUTH - AND THAT MEANS IF 48:53 YOU DO NOT RECEIVE - I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT IF YOU 48:55 DON'T RECEIVE A LOVE OF BIBLE DOCTRINE - IF YOU DON'T LOVE AND 48:58 CHERISH TRUTH, GOD WILL THEN ALLOW YOU TO BELIEVE A LIE. 49:04 2 THESSALONIANS 2, VERSE 10. NOTICE, SPEAKING OF THE 49:08 ANTICHRIST POWER, "AND WITH ALL UNRIGHTEOUS DECEPTION 49:13 AMONG THOSE WHO PERISH" - UNRIGHTEOUS DECEPTION - "BECAUSE 49:16 THEY DID NOT RECEIVE THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH THAT THEY MIGHT BE 49:19 SAVED." IF YOU WANT TO BE SAVED YOU HAVE TO LOVE THE TRUTH. 49:23 YOU CANNOT BE A PRACTICING LIAR AND LOVE THE TRUTH. 49:27 "AND FOR THIS REASON GOD'LL SEND THEM STRONG DELUSION," - IF 49:31 YOU LOVE DELUSION AND DECEPTION HE'LL LET YOU HAVE IT 49:34 - "THAT THEY SHOULD BELIEVE A LIE," - THEY'LL BE VERY SINCERE 49:37 ABOUT A LIE - "THAT THEY ALL MIGHT BE CONDEMNED WHO DID NOT 49:41 BELIEVE THE TRUTH BUT HAD PLEASURE IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS." 49:44 PLEASURE IN DECEPTION. IF WE DON'T LOVE THE TRUTH AND 49:48 RECEIVE A LOVE OF THE TRUTH THAT WE MIGHT BE SAVED - THE 49:51 ONLY THING LEFT IF YOU DON'T RECEIVE A LOVE OF 49:52 THE TRUTH IS WHAT? TAKE AWAY THE LIGHT 49:55 AND YOU HAVE DARKNESS. TAKE AWAY THE TRUTH 49:58 AND YOU HAVE DECEPTION. YOU KNOW, I HEARD ABOUT 50:04 FOUR HIGH SCHOOL BOYS THAT SHOWED UP IN CLASS LATE ONE DAY. 50:08 THEY'D BEEN GOOFING OFF BUT THEY TOLD THE TEACHER 'WE HAD A FLAT 50:10 TIRE.' SHE SAID, 'WELL YOU MISSED THE TEST THIS 50:13 MORNING.' 'OH, WE COULDN'T HELP IT. 50:15 WE HAD A FLAT TIRE.' SHE SAID, 'I TELL YOU WHAT. 50:17 I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO TAKE THE TEST AGAIN, 50:20 BUT FIRST I'VE GOT A ONE QUESTION TEST. 50:22 I WANT EACH OF YOU TO GO TO A DIFFERENT CORNER OF THE 50:24 CLASSROOM AND HERE'S YOUR QUESTION: WHICH TIRE WAS 50:27 FLAT?' THERE'S GOING TO BE A TEST SOMEDAY, FRIENDS. 50:37 DO WE TREASURE THE TRUTH? ALL LIARS WILL BE LOST, 50:42 THE BIBLE TELLS US. LYING IS LETHAL. 50:45 REVELATION 21, VERSE 8, "...ALL LIARS SHALL HAVE THEIR 50:49 PART IN THE LAKE WHICH BURNS WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE, WHICH 50:52 IS THE SECOND DEATH." LORD, SAVE US FROM LYING. 50:57 REVELATION 22:15, "BUT OUTSIDE" - OUTSIDE THE CITY OF 51:00 GOD - "ARE...WHOEVER LOVES AND PRACTICES A LIE." SO THAT 51:05 COMMANDMENT - 'DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR' 51:08 IS NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN A COURT, IT'S TALKING 51:12 ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE COURT OF HEAVEN TOO. 51:15 ARE WE BEING HONEST? NOW, ULTIMATELY, WE ARE 51:20 FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST, AND WHAT WAS JESUS? 51:22 WE ARE CALLED TO BE FAITHFUL WITNESSES. 51:24 JESUS SAID IN REVELATION 1:5, "AND FROM JESUS CHRIST, THE 51:27 FAITHFUL WITNESS," - WE ARE TO BE FAITHFUL WITNESSES. 51:32 HE CAME TO BEAR FAITHFUL TESTIMONY OF WHAT THE 51:35 FATHER WAS LIKE AND WHAT THE MESSAGE OF THE FATHER IS AND TO 51:39 DIE FOR OUR SINS. REVELATION 3:14, "AND TO THE 51:43 ANGEL OF THE CHURCH OF THE LAODICEANS" - THAT'S RELEVANT 51:46 FOR US - "WRITE 'THESE THINGS SAYS THE AMEN, THE 51:49 FAITHFUL AND TRUE WITNESS," - THAT'S JESUS - THAT'S RED LETTER 51:53 - JESUS IS THE FAITHFUL WITNESS. CHRIST SAID IN JOHN 8:55, "YET 51:59 YOU HAVE NOT KNOWN HIM BUT I KNOW HIM. 52:02 AND IF I SAY, 'I DO NOT KNOW HIM,' I SHALL BE A LIAR 52:04 LIKE YOU; BUT I DO KNOW HIM AND KEEP HIS WORD." CHRIST CAME TO 52:08 BEAR FAITHFUL WITNESS OF THE FATHER. 52:10 YOU KNOW WHAT PUT JESUS ON THE CROSS? 52:14 A FALSE WITNESS - TWO OF THEM. 52:16 THEY HAD TO FIND AT LEAST TWO AND THEY FOUND TWO FALSE 52:19 WITNESSES AND CHRIST WAS FALSELY ACCUSED. 52:23 BECAUSE OF SOMEONE'S LIES HE DIED ON THE CROSS. 52:27 AND IT WASN'T JUST THEIR LIES 2,000 YEARS AGO. 52:30 YOU REALIZE JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS FOR OUR LIES - OUR 52:35 EXAGGERATIONS, OUR HALF-TRUTHS, THE WHITE LIES, 52:41 THE BLACK LIES AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. 52:43 GOD WANTS US TO BE A PEOPLE THAT FOLLOW HIM AND HE IS THE 52:47 TRUTH AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE. 52:51 LIES WILL ENSLAVE YOU. NOW I'M TALKING TO MYSELF 52:55 JUST AS I'M TALKING TO YOU BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY AREAS 52:58 WHERE WE THINK THAT IT'S GRAY AND GOD IS CALLING US TO BE 53:01 A PEOPLE THAT ARE SINCERE - WITHOUT WAX - HONEST, 53:05 DEPENDABLE, TRUSTWORTHY - 'LET YOUR YEA BE YEA AND YOUR NAY BE 53:09 NAY' - AND THE LORD WANTS US TO HAVE THAT IN OUR HEARTS. 53:12 IF WE'RE GOING TO SPEAK THE TRUTH IN OUR MOUTHS, FIRST 53:16 WE NEED TO HAVE IT IN OUR HEARTS AND JESUS IS THE TRUTH. 53:20 WHEN YOU RECEIVE HIM AND HIS PRINCIPLES AND HIS TEACHINGS 53:24 INTO YOUR HEART - 'OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART THE 53:27 MOUTH WILL SPEAK' AND OUR WORDS WILL BE CHANGED. 53:30 I'M HOPING THAT I CAN HAVE THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE BECAUSE 53:34 SOME DAY WE'RE GOING TO BE CALLED TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE 53:39 GOING TO BE ASKED 'WHO DO YOU BELIEVE IN?' 53:40 - AND IF YOU LIE, YOU'LL BE LOST. 53:43 WE NEED TO HAVE SUCH A LOVE FOR THE TRUTH THAT EVEN IF WE'RE 53:48 EXECUTED FOR IT, WE'RE GOING TO SAY 'JESUS IS OUR LORD', 53:51 AMEN? WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A STAND FOR 53:53 THE TRUTH IN OUR WORD AND IN OUR DEEDS AND YOU'VE GOT TO 53:57 REALLY LOVE THE TRUTH TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. 53:59 YOU'VE GOT TO REALLY LOVE THE TRUTH TO BE WILLING TO DIE FOR 54:01 THE TRUTH. IF WE'RE NOT FAITHFUL IN THE 54:04 LITTLE THINGS NOW, WHAT WILL WE DO WHEN A BIG TEST COMES 54:07 WHEN IT COMES TO TRUTH? SO WE MUST CHERISH IT NOW. 54:11 WELL, ALL OF US HAVE LIED. I DON'T WANT ANYONE 54:13 TO BE DISCOURAGED. IF IT WASN'T FOR GOD'S MERCY 54:17 WE'D BE IN BIG TROUBLE, AMEN? BUT GOD CAN CHANGE OUR 54:21 HEARTS AND HE CAN FORGIVE OUR SINS AND HE CAN POUR HIS TRUTH 54:24 INTO OUR LIVES SO I'M THANKFUL FOR HIS REDEMPTION. (MUSIC) 54:41 >>FOR OVER SIXTY YEARS JEEPNEYS HAVE BEEN THE VIRTUAL KING OF 54:43 THE ROAD, HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES. 54:45 THESE UNIQUE VEHICLES THAT ARE FESTIVE WITH COLORFUL STICKERS, 54:49 LIGHTS, AND CHROME HAVE GROWN INTO THE CHIEF SOURCE OF 54:52 TRANSPORTATION IN THE COUNTRY. LET'S GO! 54:59 THESE ICONIC FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE MILITARY VEHICLES, MADE BY THE 55:02 WILLYS COMPANY, WERE KNOWN AS 'JEEPS' BECAUSE IT STOOD FOR 55:06 GENERAL PURPOSE, BUT IT ALSO CAME FROM A CHARACTER IN A 55:10 POPEYE CARTOON THAT WAS KNOWN AS 'EUGENE THE JEEP' HE WAS AN 55:14 IMAGINARY DOG THAT COULD CRAWL ACROSS THE CEILINGS AND THE 55:17 WALLS - AND THESE JEEPS COULD GO ANYWHERE. 55:20 WHEN THE AMERICANS LEFT THE PHILIPPINES FOLLOWING WORLD WAR 55:22 II, IT WAS JUST CHEAPER FOR THEM TO JUST LEAVE THESE THOUSANDS OF 55:26 MILITARY VEHICLES BEHIND RATHER THAN TO TRANSPORT THEM BACK TO 55:29 THE STATES. THE CREATIVE FILIPINO PEOPLE 55:32 MODIFIED THESE MILITARY VEHICLES BY EXTENDING THE 55:34 FRAME ABOUT SIX FEET. THEY ADDED A COUPLE OF OPPOSING 55:37 BENCHES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO CARRY ABOUT 18 PEOPLE, THEY PUT 55:41 A CAB OVER IT TO PREVENT THE WATER FROM COMING IN, BUT I'VE 55:45 SEEN WHAT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT 20 TO 25 PEOPLE HANGING OFF EVERY 55:48 POSSIBLE EDGE AND LEDGE OF A JEEPNEY - JUMPING OFF AND 55:52 JUMPING ON AS IT GOES THROUGH CONGESTED MANILLA TRAFFIC. 55:57 EVERY JEEPNEY IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. 56:00 SOME ARE JUST HELD TOGETHER WITH PATCHES OF BALING WIRE AND 56:03 BUBBLE GUM - A LITTLE BIT OF DUCT TAPE - SOME ARE A LITTLE 56:06 MORE ORNATE AND MODERN - THEY'VE GOT CHROME AND STAINLESS STEEL - 56:09 AND THERE'S GOOD REASON THAT THE CEILINGS ARE PADDED. 56:15 WHEN ONE OF THE LOCAL FILIPINOS WANTS A RIDE ON A JEEPNEY, THEY 56:18 JUST FLAG THEM DOWN, THEY SHOUT, THEY TAP ON THE HOOD, AND THEN 56:21 THEY JUMP ON BOARD - THEY MAY NOT EVEN SLOW DOWN WHEN THEY DO 56:24 THIS - THEN THEY PAY ABOUT EIGHT PESOS, WHICH IS THE EQUIVALENT 56:27 OF 16 CENTS FOR US - IT'S, BY FAR, THE MOST ECONOMICAL WAY TO 56:31 GET AROUND IN THE COUNTRY. SOME JEEPNEYS ARE EVEN EQUIPPED 56:39 WITH THEIR OWN EMERGENCY PRIVY. 56:44 ONE LITTLE DOWNSIDE TO THIS JEEPNEYS IS, BECAUSE THE CABS 56:46 ARE OPEN LIKE THIS, THEY'RE NOT AIR-CONDITIONED, IT GETS PRETTY 56:49 HOT IN THE SUMMERTIME AND ALL OF THE FUMES FROM THE STREET COME 56:52 IN, WHICH CAN MAKE IT AN EXHAUSTING EXPERIENCE - WHEW. 56:57 PART OF THE DOWNSIDE OF A JEEPNEY IS THEY DON'T HAVE ALL 56:59 OF THE MODERN SAFETY FEATURES - NO SEAT BELTS - YOU HAVE TO TAKE 57:03 ADVANTAGE OF THE PADDING IF YOU HIT A HARD BUMP AND, IF YOU'RE 57:06 IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, THERE'S NO AIRBAGS OTHER THAN THE 57:09 FRIENDS THAT MIGHT BE SITTING AROUND YOU. 57:11 AND THAT'S THE UPSIDE OF THE JEEPNEY, BECAUSE YOU'RE UP CLOSE 57:14 AND PERSONAL WITH EVERYBODY, YOU MAKE SOME NEW FRIENDS. 57:17 RIDING ON A JEEPNEY REQUIRES TEAMWORK. 57:20 IF YOU BUY SOMETHING FROM ONE OF THE VENDORS, YOU ALL SORT OF 57:22 PASS IT BACK TO EACH OTHER AND WHEN PASSENGERS GET ON BOARD, 57:25 YOU JUST PASS YOUR MONEY UP FRONT. THANKS A LOT! 57:38 FRIENDS, IT'S SAFE TO SAY THERE ARE NO TWO JEEPNEYS THAT ARE 57:41 EXACTLY THE SAME - THEY'RE ALL UNIQUE AND DISTINCT - AND SO ARE 57:45 YOU. HAVE YOU EVER FELT THAT YOU GET 57:47 LOST IN THE MASS OF HUMANITY AND GOD DOESN'T NOTICE YOU? 57:51 THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT HE KNOWS YOUR NAME. 57:53 THE VERY HAIRS OF YOUR HEAD ARE NUMBERED AND HE HEARS YOUR 57:56 PRAYERS. MORE THAN THAT, THE LORD WANTS 57:58 TO TAKE YOU TO HIS KINGDOM - YOU JUST HAVE TO GET ON BOARD. 58:02 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2016-11-16