HopeUC Secunderabad
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HopeUC Secunderabad
Hold on to the Truth
Words hold the power to heal or destroy, and the ninth commandment—“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor”—calls us to use them wisely. In a world where gossip, slander, and flattery are normalized, this message explores how these forms of false testimony fracture relationships and reflect a deeper spiritual issue. Gossip may feel harmless, but Scripture warns it can separate close friends and grieve God. Jesus, the ultimate victim of false testimony, reminds us that every careless word matters. The solution? Embrace truth, apply the THINK test (True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, Kind), and let your words reflect the character of Christ—bringing healing, not harm.
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Well, we are in a series called Just In. Everyone shout out Just In. I hope you're part of a live group, okay, if you don't know what it is, you can always meet our pastors over here. But in our live group we are meditating on the 10 commandments that are spoken by God. Okay, so last week we studied one. We started off in a reverse order. We started off by finding true contentment we can only find in Jesus, and today we're going to look at the ninth commandment, which comes from Exodus, chapter 20, and verse 16. Exodus, chapter 20, verse 16. It says like this says you shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. Okay, false testament against your neighbor. The message bible says like this says no lies about your neighbor. Now, jay john was putting this series together. He said something powerful. He says we live in a world, okay, of truth decay, not tooth decay, even though that's there. Okay, we live in a world of truth decay.
Speaker 1:And James clearly puts out very well in his book, in James, chapter 3, and reading from verse 5. If you have your Bibles, you can turn with me there. James, chapter 3, reading verse 5. It says Even so, the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a force a little fire kindles. Okay, even your tongue is a small thing, but it has great power. Great things happen. Okay, verse 9, it says With it we bless our God and and father and with it we curse men who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing my brethren. These things ought not to be so.
Speaker 1:Now James, writing, clearly says how we behave when we speak. Okay, right, so this is a sermon on the mouth. Everyone heard that Sermon. We all heard the sermon on the mouth, but this is a sermon on the Come on, everybody, show your mouth. It's a sermon on the mouth about the mouth. Okay, show your mouth. It's a sermon on the mouth about the mouth. Okay. And James clearly says we can come here worshiping God, like we did just five, seven minutes ago, worshiping God, sing our praises, but when we're going back home, something goes wrong. Somebody cuts you off on the road and you know what happens. What words come out of your mouth? Okay, and the same. That's what James saying. Okay, with the same mouth, you have a praise God, but in the same mouth also, you spurt out something that's not good. How can that be? It says we should not be like that. We should not be like that and that's why this commandment talks about you should not bear false testimony. Now, the Bible warns us about false testimony and it can show up in different ways. False testimony how does it show up in our lives? Okay, j John talks about three things. Okay, it talks about gossip, slander and flattery. Gossip, slander and flattery.
Speaker 1:Now, two people were coming to a church like this and they were sitting in the front row and the pastor was preaching firely that day and the pastor was condemning, naming all the sins and saying that he's condemning the sins. And he starts off by saying, okay, he condemned the sin of stealing. And these two people cried at the top of their lungs amen, okay. And the preacher continued on and he began to condemn the sin of stealing. And these two people cried at the top of their lungs amen, okay. And the preacher continued on and he began to condemn the sin of lust. And they yelled again and saying preacher, pastor. And the preacher began to go more fiery and he began to condemn the sin of lying. They jumped to their feet and screamed okay, come on, that's right, you got to do that. You got to speak it out and this preacher did not stop himself. He went on to condemn the sin of gossip. And these two people became very quiet. One person turned to the other and said he stopped preaching and he started meddling in our lives. And that's exactly what I'm going to do Not me, but the word of God is going to meddle with our lives today. Are you ready for that today? Ready for the Holy Spirit to meddle your life a little bit today, because he wants to bring change in our lives. He wants to bring change in our lives Gossip, slander, flattery.
Speaker 1:Now, what do we mean by gossip? If you look at the definitions of gossip, slander, flattery. Now, what do we mean by gossip? If you look at the definitions of gossip okay, it says it's the revealing of intimate or sensational facts. Okay, a report, often malicious, about the doings of other people. A person who habitually spreads intimate or private rumors or facts.
Speaker 1:Now, rick Warren also puts out a beautiful definition. He says something like this. He says, when we are talking about a situation with somebody who is neither part of the problem nor part of the solution, he says, then we are probably gossiping. Okay, neither part of the problem, not part of the solution, then you probably gossiping. Okay, neither part of the problem nor part of the solution, then you're gossiping. J John says gossip is hearing something you like about someone. You don't. Hearing something you like about someone. You don't Gossip. I'm sure all of us have faced all of these three things in our lives at one point or the other. Right, we can all testify for that. But we also have been perpetuating that too, Right? Okay, sometimes, as you look at these definitions, you can understand sometimes gossip is not all lies, but it can be truth also, but which is not something that should have been spoken. Okay, so gossip is a very dangerous thing. It destroys people, it destroys lives and it's such a powerful destructive force.
Speaker 1:You look at slander. What is slander? Slander is the utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another's reputation. Okay, utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another's reputation. Okay, you know how this comes about. It comes in a sandwich, what we call a compliment sandwich. Everyone sure about compliment sandwich. You know what a compliment sandwich is? Oh, he's very good, but oh, she's so good at this, but, and that one word can tarnish her reputation like nothing else. You know it's a sandwich. Oh, you're complimenting, yes, he's so good at that, but and everybody goes. But what? If only you know what I know? And everybody goes. What do you know? Right, it's slander. It's a malicious untruth that the intention of causing harm, trying to discredit one. Now it's also insinuation. Insinuation is where you make a statement that leads people to think something that is not true. Okay, that's what happens To encourage people to jump to wrong conclusions and we provide the building blocks and let them construct the lie themselves. That is slander, again, a vicious thing.
Speaker 1:Flattery what is flattery? Flattery is saying things to a person's face which we would never say behind their back. Flattery is insincere praise. You can come to the pastor, you preached a powerful message, but inside he's thinking, man, you bored me to death. Flattery, flattery, you know, insincere praise. We compliment somebody that we don't even mean it. J John says flattery is like an artificial sweetener, it's not real. Okay, sometimes flattery is done to put forth your agenda. What do you call it? Butter up, right, something which is not true. Flattery.
Speaker 1:And the Bible talks about these three things, and there are so many other things. Ridicule is one of them. You know, ridiculing people and these things. It says they do not belong to a Christian. Belong to a Christian and the Bible clearly talks about that. You know the dangers of it.
Speaker 1:Now, james, chapter 1, verse 26. It says like of it. Now, james, chapter 1, verse 26,. It says like this it says James 1, verse 26 says anyone who says he's a Christian but doesn't control his sharp tongue is just fooling himself and his religion isn't worth much. Wow, it says if you cannot control the way you speak, if you control the words you speak, it says your religion is worthless, your worship is worthless, your coming to church is worthless because if you cannot control this, your worship is vain. God says Okay, so it's got to be important in our lives that we don't give ourselves to these things. You know the Bible talks about sin, about gossip, slander, as a sin. As a sin, it's a real temp is and it's a real temptation.
Speaker 1:Proverbs 18, verse 8, says like this. Proverbs 18 it says the words of gossip are like choice morsels. Anyone love food over here? Yeah, we love food, that's what my mind is going already to lunch right now. Right, we love food and it's like gossip is like choice morsels, not ordinary, something juicy, something juicy, okay, gossip are like a choice morsel, like ice cream sundae, which can go down so smoothly. Right, it says the words of gossip are like choice marshals. We all have a fascination for this, whether we admit it or not. We all indulge in this, whether we admit it or not, today.
Speaker 1:Okay, you know, people gossip for different reasons. Some reasons. Some people say, okay, it gives me the power. Okay, gossip feels good when we have some information to share that no one else has come on. No one else has. It makes me feel important.
Speaker 1:Someone said when I'm hearing gossip, it makes me feel better. You know why? Because that person is bad and I am good. That's what makes you feel. When someone said I got such a boring and dull life hearing something juicy on someone else. It's like entertainment to me. So these things are extremely dangerous. Gossip is extremely dangerous. Slander is dangerous. Flattery is not good at all.
Speaker 1:You know the bible talks about gossip in different ways. You know, gossip results okay, in separating people. Gossip results in strife. Gossip results in division among people. In Proverbs, chapter 16, verse 28,. It says a troublemaker plants seeds of strife. Gossip separates the best of friends. Gossip separates the best of friends. You are good friends, but some amount of information that was not supposed to go out of you went out. That's it. The other person gets hurt and separates friends. You know there's an example in the Bible Okay Numbers, chapter 12.
Speaker 1:Okay, verse 1, it says Miriam and Aaron talked against Moses behind his back because of a person he married. They said, okay, is it only through Moses that God speaks? Doesn't he also speak through us? They began to question God's exclusive use of Moses as a prophet. And sometimes it can happen in churches, my friends, when you're a part of a leadership, when you're part of a team and you don't like what the leadership is doing, you don't like what the leadership is doing and you go out and talk to someone who was not even a part of the leadership team and that's what is happening. It separates teams. It separates teams. It separates families. They were all family. Miriam, aaron and Moses were all family and they began to gossip about Moses. So much so God got angry with Miriam and she became leprous and Moses had to go plead before God to heal her.
Speaker 1:It's very dangerous, my friends. A slander separates intimate friends. A lifetime of friendship can be torn apart in just a moment. Slander Proverbs 26, verse 20. The message Bible says when you run out of wood, the fire goes out. When the gossip ends, the quarrel dies down. If it doesn't end, imagine the other thing. It goes on and on. It separates families, separates friends, which is not what God wants. So gossip destroys people, destroys families and friends. It not only destroys, it also hurts the listener. And if you are the one who's listening to it, it will hurt you too. Okay.
Speaker 1:In Proverbs 17, verse 4, says wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip. Liars pay close attention to slander. Proverbs 26, verse 22 come on, come on, read this with me. Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy do you want junk like that in your belly? It's like eating cheap things, which is not helpful. And it says do you want that junk in you? So if you're listening to gossip, you're hurting yourself Just by listening to it. Okay, because gossip sinks its teeth into our hearts, minds, souls and even in our bodies. It's like cancer that spreads across so fast. It hurts the listener too. But gossip also hurts the speaker too. Someone is spreading rumors gossip. Okay.
Speaker 1:Someone said like this talking badly about someone else when they are not around says more about you than about them when you're talking about someone who is not around. It says more about you than about someone. Proverbs 25, verse 9. Proverbs 25, verse 9. It says when arguing with your neighbor, don't betray another person's secret. Others may accuse you of gossip and you will never regain your good reputation when you gossip. You're losing your own reputation. You're losing your own reputation. You're losing your own good standing. It's not benefiting you either way. That's the power of gossip. Okay, once they stop talking to you, you can be rest assured they'll start talking about you.
Speaker 1:The bible clearly says God doesn't like gossip and actually God hates gossip. That's what the Bible says. Proverbs, chapter 6, verse 16 to 19,. It says like this it says there are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him. It says haughty eyes we can do a series in this straight away, actually A seven week series there. A haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. The Lord detests this. It doesn't like it, hates it.
Speaker 1:You might say, oh, everybody does it, but is it helpful to you Just because everybody is doing it doesn't mean that it's pleasing to God. Just because everybody is doing it doesn't mean that it's pleasing to God. And as believers of Jesus, followers of Jesus, we are all called to a higher standard of living, higher standard of living. So how do we overcome this sin? How do we overcome gossip sin? How do we overcome gossip slander?
Speaker 1:Okay, before you feel the urge to say something to someone that is not in the room, someone put an acronym called THINK. Everybody shout out THINK. What does THINK stand for? T? Is it true? What does think stand for T? Is it true? H? Is it helpful? I? Is it inspiring? N? Is it necessary? K? Is it kind? If you can get through the think test, you'll be safe, is it true? Is it helpful? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary and is it kind? Whenever you want to go, blah, blah, blah, blah, think, think, think, think. Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary? Is it kind? Just building on that, ask yourself is my conversation helpful or hurtful? Is my conversation helpful or hurtful? Is my conversation helpful or hurtful? Is my conversation helpful or hurtful?
Speaker 1:Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 29, says do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Same passage in the Message Bible says watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps. Each word a gift. So, my friends, you got to look at it. Is this going to be helpful or hurtful? And our words should always lift others, not tear down people. Is it going to get someone better or is going to make someone bitter? Is my conversation helpful or hurtful? What you're going to say is it going to benefit or not? Think test. The next thing that you can ask yourself is that am I making private matters public? Not everything good needs to be spoken. Okay, not everything good needs to be spoken outside of certain boundaries.
Speaker 1:Probably you're part of a team, in your workplace or in a church, wherever. There are some things that have to be spoken as a part of a team and they should stay there. If you take that out and speak with someone else who's not part of the team, then you're gossiping and says it's not helpful. There's something that's supposed to be private but you're making it public. You know, one of the biggest gossip centers is prayer groups. Someone tells you comes and shares their problems and their issues with you. Now you are a prayer warrior, now you need a prayer warrior, now you need to pray for the church. So you bring someone else. You know, this brother, this sister is going through such and such a thing and you share everything that was supposed to be kept within yourself In the name of prayer. Right, there are some things that should be kept private. Please keep it private. When someone says, okay, I don't want this to go anywhere, even if you have to pray for them, you pray for them. Don't get others involved. If you want others involved, just say hey, just lift up this person in prayer, that's it. No more information. They need some prayers. Why don't we just pray for them?
Speaker 1:Don't let private matters go public. Proverbs 11, verse 12, says like this. It says whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue. A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. A trustworthy person keeps a secret. There are some things that should stay within you. Just keep it there.
Speaker 1:Marriages can be destroyed. Marriages can be destroyed because of gossip and slander. Instead of dealing with it. You go tell everybody else she's like this, she's not like this, she's like this, he's like that. It kills a marriage. It kills a marriage you know, social media doesn't help us either way Something that should never be posted on social media and you somehow post it and the person who's told that to you is shocked Because something private became public.
Speaker 1:So ask yourself is this a private matter? If it's a private matter, okay, let it stay as private matter. Another thing that you can ask yourself am I permitting others to gossip? So if someone comes to you and gossip, you got to be careful about that. Proverbs 17, verse 4, says evil people relish malicious conversation. The ears of liars itch for dirty gossip. Okay, so are you permitting gossip? It's just not wrong to speak. It's also wrong to listen to it.
Speaker 1:Someone said, like what you permit, you promote. What you permit, you promote. If you listen to it, you are promoting it. If you listen to it, you are participating in it. If you are listening to it, you are actually facilitating it. What you permit is what you're actually facilitating it. What you permit is what you promote, my friends. So if you are caught up in that, ask this question am I promoting this Because, if I permit it, I'm participating in it. As I said, if they gossip to you, they will gossip about you, that's for sure.
Speaker 1:So how do we do this practically? How do we stop this? You know, someone put out three ways of doing this. You can be very loving, you can be very direct, or you can do it with attitude. What do I mean by that Very loving? You can just say, hey, if that person heard us talking about behind their back, I don't think they would appreciate it. We want to be a good friend, so let's not talk about it. Or you can say, hey, I don't think this is good, I don't want to be part of this conversation. That person is not there, let's not talk about it right now.
Speaker 1:If you want to be direct, you can say if you got a problem with them, go speak to them, not me. You have a problem with them. Why don't you go speak to them, not me. You have a problem with them. Why don't you go speak to them, man, not me. A great team values honesty, openness and respect. If you have a problem, man up, go to the person rather than talk about the person. And if you want to do. You can do it with some attitude and say if you're going to continue to talk to us, I'm going to go out of this place, I'm not going to hang out with you anymore. Sometimes you need to make some hard decisions in your life. I'm not going to be part of this anymore. If I'm not going to stop this, I won't be here anymore.
Speaker 1:Because words matter, words matter. Actually, jesus tells us okay, in Matthew, chapter 12, verse 36, he says Matthew 12, verse 36, he says he says you have minds like a snake pit. How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul minded? It's your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. Okay, a good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. Whoa, there will be a time of reckoning.
Speaker 1:Words are powerful. Take them seriously. Words can be a salvation. Words can also be a damnation. How many of us were guilty of this so many times? We speak careless words, speak in a joking way, but it ends up hurting someone. Words are powerful. Life and death in a joking way, but it ends up hurting someone. Words are power for life and death. Someone can say it's not a big deal, man, it's not gonna hurt anybody. But we all know words hurt people.
Speaker 1:The fabric of all healthy relationship is woven into truth, and lying takes this fabric apart. Why should you hold on to the truth? Because truth is important to God, because God's truthfulness is part of his nature. Titus, chapter 1, verse 2 says Titus, chapter 1, verse two says Titus, chapter one. Verse two says this truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised them before the world began. He says God does not lie, he's not a lying God, he's not a man to lie. Jesus is truth and Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life. Jesus is truth and Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life. Jesus' words are true and Jesus always speaks the truth about us.
Speaker 1:And Jesus talks of the origin of all of this gossip, slander, flattery, lying, the origin of that. Jesus says, like this John 8, verseander flattery, lying the origin of that. Jesus says, like this John 8, verse 44, he says you belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies, he said. When you indulge in this, he says you're acting like the devil himself. He says there was no truth in him and when he lies, he's speaking his native language.
Speaker 1:And all across the Bible, you see, the devil has always been accusing, slandering the children of God, always putting doubt, always gossiping. Came to Eve and says did God say like this? Did God say like this? When he was in the presence of God and the issue of Job came, he began to accuse Job. Job is like this because you've given him good health.
Speaker 1:Revelation talks about that. He is an accuser of the brethren. That's his job. So if you go to involve yourself in that, it says you're going to act like him. You're going to act like him. But Jesus says no, you should not be acting like him, because God is not a liar. God is not someone who gossips. God is not someone who flatters. God is not someone who slanders. He is truth. He is himself truth and he wants us to be people of truth.
Speaker 1:People of truth, you know, towards the end of Jesus's life, jesus became a victim of those who broke this commandment. He became a victim of this. They accused him, they brought accusations against him, they slandered him, saying that he drives demons by Beelzebub Something which is not even right In Mark, chapter 15, as he stands before Pilate. They bring accusations. Verse 3 says the chief priest accused him of many things. So again, pilate asked him aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of. And Jesus still made no reply. And Pilate was amazed. He was amazed at all the accusations that had been made. And Jesus was calm.
Speaker 1:The slander against Jesus, the lies against Jesus eventually took his life. But this is what Jesus tells about himself In John, chapter 18, verse 37. It says when Pilate asked him, he says you are a king. Then, said Pilate, and Jesus answered you say that I am a king. Pilate. And Jesus answered you say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.
Speaker 1:Everyone on the side of truth listens to me. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me. So, my friends, whose side are you on today? Whose side are you on today? On the cross, when Jesus was dying, he paid the price. He paid the price for all our gossip. He paid the price for all our lies. He paid the price for all our slander. He paid the price for all our ridicule. He paid the price for all our flattery.
Speaker 1:And because of his death and resurrection, today he says I offer you forgiveness. Not only forgiveness, but I want you to transform, to live a life based on truth. Based on truth. Maybe you lived a life based on life still now, but God's challenging us today, he's meddling in our lives. Say okay, you've been living like this still now, but I want you to become something different. I want you to become a person of truth. So are you going to speak words that will benefit? Are you going to speak words that are going to make people better, or are you going to speak words that will benefit? Are you going to speak words that are going to make people better, or are you going to speak words that make people bitter?