1 00:00:05,542 --> 00:00:07,625 Howdy, Pastor Mark here, all sweaty 2 00:00:07,667 --> 00:00:09,125 got done just yelling, 3 00:00:09,167 --> 00:00:11,000 got to start the Ten Commandments series, 4 00:00:11,083 --> 00:00:12,417 really excited. 5 00:00:12,500 --> 00:00:13,875 We got, of course, 10 weeks together 6 00:00:13,958 --> 00:00:15,500 going through the Ten Commandments 7 00:00:15,583 --> 00:00:18,333 and I wanted to thank you; you are part 8 00:00:18,375 --> 00:00:20,708 of our extended family of Mars Hill Global. 9 00:00:20,792 --> 00:00:23,208 Many of you pray for us, many of you podcast, 10 00:00:23,292 --> 00:00:25,708 many of you give generously and faithfully 11 00:00:25,792 --> 00:00:27,333 thank you, thank you, thank you 12 00:00:27,375 --> 00:00:29,708 you're helping us introduce people to Jesus, 13 00:00:29,792 --> 00:00:32,625 get solid Bible teaching out, see lives change. 14 00:00:32,667 --> 00:00:34,833 The band is playing behind me right now, 15 00:00:34,875 --> 00:00:36,625 people are giving their lives to Jesus. 16 00:00:36,667 --> 00:00:38,000 If you hear some cheering 17 00:00:38,042 --> 00:00:40,292 it's 'cause they're getting baptized right now. 18 00:00:40,333 --> 00:00:43,500 And our extended family goes really all around the world. 19 00:00:43,542 --> 00:00:45,875 At 4 o' clock today, at our last service 20 00:00:45,958 --> 00:00:48,333 at the Bellevue location where I'm preaching live 21 00:00:48,375 --> 00:00:50,417 we've got a guy in from China. 22 00:00:50,500 --> 00:00:51,917 And apparently he can't get baptized 23 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,583 where he's at in China because the legalities 24 00:00:54,667 --> 00:00:56,333 and for some reason he's in the U.S., 25 00:00:56,375 --> 00:00:58,125 he's part of our extended family 26 00:00:58,167 --> 00:01:01,417 and we're gonna baptize him here from China at 4 o' clock. 27 00:01:01,500 --> 00:01:04,375 We love the opportunity that technology affords us 28 00:01:04,458 --> 00:01:07,625 to get the Bible teaching about Jesus out to the world. 29 00:01:07,667 --> 00:01:09,125 Somebody else getting baptized right there; 30 00:01:09,167 --> 00:01:10,625 I hope you can hear the shouts. 31 00:01:10,667 --> 00:01:13,125 Sincerely thank you, thank you, thank you. 32 00:01:13,167 --> 00:01:16,000 If you're not already part of the extended family 33 00:01:16,042 --> 00:01:18,500 or if you wanna invite others to join us 34 00:01:18,583 --> 00:01:21,083 and know what's going on and be kept up to speed, 35 00:01:21,167 --> 00:01:23,083 marshill.com/global 36 00:01:23,167 --> 00:01:25,208 is the easiest way to sign up for an account. 37 00:01:25,292 --> 00:01:27,208 And for those of you who want to follow along 38 00:01:27,292 --> 00:01:28,583 in the Ten Commandments, 39 00:01:28,667 --> 00:01:30,000 we did put together a study guide. 40 00:01:30,083 --> 00:01:31,500 You could do this individually, 41 00:01:31,542 --> 00:01:33,000 you could do this with your family 42 00:01:33,042 --> 00:01:34,667 you could do this with a small group. 43 00:01:34,750 --> 00:01:36,292 All the proceeds go back to the church 44 00:01:36,333 --> 00:01:37,875 I'm not putting my hand on the till 45 00:01:37,958 --> 00:01:39,875 and it was all written by people in the church 46 00:01:39,958 --> 00:01:43,583 who love Jesus; men, women, single, married, 47 00:01:43,667 --> 00:01:47,333 serving and using their gifts to help serve our church 48 00:01:47,375 --> 00:01:48,667 and I want to thank you 49 00:01:48,750 --> 00:01:50,792 for being an extended member of Mars Hill. 50 00:01:50,833 --> 00:01:52,708 So thanks a bunch and be praying. 51 00:01:52,792 --> 00:01:54,792 I'm pretty fired up to be in the Ten Commandments. 52 00:02:05,792 --> 00:02:08,833 The people of God were stuck. 53 00:02:08,875 --> 00:02:11,500 For centuries, they lived as slaves 54 00:02:11,542 --> 00:02:13,375 to terrifying task masters 55 00:02:13,458 --> 00:02:18,500 whose cruelty was only exceeded by their power. 56 00:02:18,542 --> 00:02:20,417 In these dark days, 57 00:02:20,500 --> 00:02:22,333 God's people gave birth to children 58 00:02:22,375 --> 00:02:25,750 who would inherit nothing more than misery. 59 00:02:25,833 --> 00:02:29,000 Their strongest ally was a God, 60 00:02:29,083 --> 00:02:33,833 who they had assumed had forgotten them. 61 00:02:35,125 --> 00:02:37,333 Far from forgotten, the people of God 62 00:02:37,375 --> 00:02:41,417 were rescued by the might of his hand. 63 00:02:41,500 --> 00:02:44,417 He put their masters to open shame 64 00:02:44,500 --> 00:02:47,833 and led them into the wilderness. 65 00:02:47,875 --> 00:02:51,667 Though they were set free, they weren't yet living free. 66 00:02:51,750 --> 00:02:55,750 They started to live as slaves to their own sin. 67 00:02:55,833 --> 00:02:57,458 What happened next 68 00:02:57,500 --> 00:03:00,917 reverberates for over 3,000 years of history 69 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,125 to this current day. 70 00:03:03,167 --> 00:03:05,042 Like a loving and patient Father, 71 00:03:05,125 --> 00:03:09,333 God instructed his children, 72 00:03:09,417 --> 00:03:14,083 giving them the Ten Commandments. 73 00:03:20,167 --> 00:03:23,708 So, there's an old Jewish proverb about a rabbi 74 00:03:23,792 --> 00:03:25,375 who lived in a small town, 75 00:03:25,458 --> 00:03:27,375 and he was a man of good character. 76 00:03:27,458 --> 00:03:30,375 He had given many years of his life to serving the people 77 00:03:30,458 --> 00:03:31,792 in that community. 78 00:03:31,833 --> 00:03:34,750 They saw him as an honest, forthright, trustworthy, 79 00:03:34,833 --> 00:03:36,500 hard-working man. 80 00:03:36,542 --> 00:03:39,708 Until one day, a visitor came to town. 81 00:03:39,792 --> 00:03:45,250 A new resident joined them in that small town and for reasons 82 00:03:45,333 --> 00:03:48,667 unknown to the rabbi, started saying untruthful, 83 00:03:48,750 --> 00:03:51,125 horrible things about the rabbi, 84 00:03:51,167 --> 00:03:53,667 undermining his credibility and character. 85 00:03:53,750 --> 00:03:57,833 This led to a lot of speculation and division in the community. 86 00:03:57,875 --> 00:04:02,333 Some became suspicious of the rabbi's character. 87 00:04:02,417 --> 00:04:05,333 Others assumed every negative thing they heard 88 00:04:05,417 --> 00:04:06,833 and turned against him. 89 00:04:06,875 --> 00:04:10,042 This really devastated this man who had worked so hard 90 00:04:10,125 --> 00:04:14,125 for so many years to build up a reputation in that community. 91 00:04:14,167 --> 00:04:16,000 And this went on for some time. 92 00:04:16,042 --> 00:04:18,708 The visitor decided that he would remain in that town 93 00:04:18,792 --> 00:04:20,833 and call it his home. 94 00:04:20,917 --> 00:04:23,833 After an extended period of time, 95 00:04:23,875 --> 00:04:26,333 the man who had moved to the town and undermined 96 00:04:26,375 --> 00:04:29,958 the rabbi's reputation met with the rabbi and said, essentially, 97 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:32,500 "I regret what I've said and what I've done. 98 00:04:32,542 --> 00:04:36,333 "It was unfounded and untrue, and I want to make it up to you. 99 00:04:36,417 --> 00:04:39,917 "So, what can I do to fix what I've broken, 100 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:41,708 to straighten out what I've made crooked?" 101 00:04:41,792 --> 00:04:44,458 And the rabbi told him, "I want you to go home 102 00:04:44,500 --> 00:04:47,042 "and take your pillow off of your bed. 103 00:04:47,125 --> 00:04:49,542 "I want you to go outside on a windy day. 104 00:04:49,625 --> 00:04:51,250 "I want you to tear the pillowcase 105 00:04:51,333 --> 00:04:52,708 "and I want you to scatter 106 00:04:52,792 --> 00:04:57,833 all of the feathers from your pillow into the wind." 107 00:04:57,917 --> 00:05:00,917 The man did that, returned back to meet with the rabbi, 108 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:02,583 said, "I did as you asked. 109 00:05:02,667 --> 00:05:04,917 Is there anything else I can do?" 110 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,833 And the rabbi said, "You need to take your pillowcase 111 00:05:07,917 --> 00:05:11,458 and go collect every single feather." 112 00:05:11,500 --> 00:05:14,417 And the man said, "But that's impossible!" 113 00:05:14,500 --> 00:05:18,875 And the rabbi said, "Exactly my point." 114 00:05:18,958 --> 00:05:23,667 Today's topic is bearing false witness about your neighbor, 115 00:05:23,708 --> 00:05:26,333 lying about someone. 116 00:05:26,417 --> 00:05:33,167 And once we release that lie, we can never regain the truth. 117 00:05:33,500 --> 00:05:37,833 To some degree, it always lives on to harm someone 118 00:05:37,917 --> 00:05:40,708 that we were supposed to love. 119 00:05:40,792 --> 00:05:43,167 And we find ourselves in the Ten Commandments 120 00:05:43,250 --> 00:05:44,792 at the ninth commandment. 121 00:05:44,833 --> 00:05:46,667 So, we're going through Exodus 20. 122 00:05:46,750 --> 00:05:51,000 Today, we're in verse 16, and the ninth commandment is, 123 00:05:51,083 --> 00:05:52,417 "Do not lie." 124 00:05:52,500 --> 00:05:55,417 Here's exactly how God says it through Moses. 125 00:05:55,500 --> 00:05:59,875 Exodus 20:16, "You shall not bear false witness 126 00:05:59,958 --> 00:06:03,708 against your neighbor." 127 00:06:03,792 --> 00:06:07,333 In one sense, this is regarding legal proceedings. 128 00:06:07,417 --> 00:06:11,000 In a day when they didn't have video cameras, or CSIs, 129 00:06:11,042 --> 00:06:15,542 or forensic investigation, truth and justice would rise 130 00:06:15,625 --> 00:06:20,167 or fall with eye witness testimony and credibility. 131 00:06:20,208 --> 00:06:23,667 In our day, it's still the way that many things are resolved. 132 00:06:23,708 --> 00:06:26,458 A traffic accident happens and you get everybody's number 133 00:06:26,500 --> 00:06:28,500 to give a report to the police. 134 00:06:28,583 --> 00:06:30,500 If someone is present for a crime, 135 00:06:30,542 --> 00:06:32,708 their information is collected and they'll be brought into 136 00:06:32,792 --> 00:06:35,000 the proceedings as witnesses. 137 00:06:35,083 --> 00:06:37,167 And for there to be justice in a society, 138 00:06:37,250 --> 00:06:42,042 there has to be credibility among the testimony. 139 00:06:42,125 --> 00:06:45,333 And so here, it's talking about those kinds of legal proceedings 140 00:06:45,417 --> 00:06:47,792 where--some of you have been involved in legal suits, 141 00:06:47,833 --> 00:06:50,250 or you've been brought in as a witness, 142 00:06:50,333 --> 00:06:52,292 or you've been asked to testify. 143 00:06:52,333 --> 00:06:56,167 Those kinds of circumstances most assuredly fall 144 00:06:56,208 --> 00:06:58,333 under the jurisdiction of the ninth commandment. 145 00:06:58,375 --> 00:07:00,833 And the whole point here is to tell the truth, 146 00:07:00,917 --> 00:07:03,875 to tell the whole truth, the nothing but the truth. 147 00:07:03,958 --> 00:07:06,625 And we tend to add "So help me God," 148 00:07:06,667 --> 00:07:09,125 though the Air Force has omitted that and our culture 149 00:07:09,167 --> 00:07:13,125 tends to take truthfulness away from the judgment of God. 150 00:07:13,167 --> 00:07:15,625 But the big idea is the truth, the whole truth, 151 00:07:15,667 --> 00:07:17,000 the nothing but the truth. 152 00:07:17,083 --> 00:07:18,500 That is what God intends, seeks. 153 00:07:18,583 --> 00:07:20,208 That's what God commands and demands 154 00:07:20,292 --> 00:07:22,792 because that's what God demonstrates. 155 00:07:22,833 --> 00:07:27,250 And this would include our workforce and our workplace, 156 00:07:27,333 --> 00:07:30,250 so let's make this as practical as we can. 157 00:07:30,333 --> 00:07:32,458 Don't raise your hand, especially if your boss brought 158 00:07:32,500 --> 00:07:35,750 you today, but how many of you lied on your resume to try 159 00:07:35,833 --> 00:07:38,250 and get your job? 160 00:07:38,333 --> 00:07:41,500 How many of you, if Jesus came back and you were holding your 161 00:07:41,542 --> 00:07:44,000 resume you'd drop your resume and hope he didn't pick 162 00:07:44,042 --> 00:07:47,208 it up, because there's stuff on there that's not true? 163 00:07:47,292 --> 00:07:48,625 We tend to lie. 164 00:07:48,667 --> 00:07:50,417 It's the violation of the ninth commandment. 165 00:07:50,500 --> 00:07:52,167 It's bearing false witness. 166 00:07:52,208 --> 00:07:54,500 It's giving testimony to something that didn't in fact 167 00:07:54,583 --> 00:07:56,583 happen like we are recording that it did. 168 00:07:56,667 --> 00:07:58,667 And then what happens even in the workforce, 169 00:07:58,708 --> 00:08:02,542 once we are in our position, there's a lot of what we call 170 00:08:02,625 --> 00:08:05,042 "office politics," which is a bunch of people 171 00:08:05,125 --> 00:08:07,083 in varying ways violating the ninth commandment, 172 00:08:07,167 --> 00:08:09,125 trying to pass off responsibility. 173 00:08:09,167 --> 00:08:11,167 "Oh, you need to own this failure. 174 00:08:11,208 --> 00:08:13,167 "This was their job, not mine. 175 00:08:13,208 --> 00:08:15,542 I didn't know, I was out of the loop," 176 00:08:15,625 --> 00:08:17,625 various ways of not communicating the entire truth 177 00:08:17,667 --> 00:08:20,208 to abdicate ourselves of our responsibility. 178 00:08:20,292 --> 00:08:22,875 And sometimes this includes formal things like 179 00:08:22,958 --> 00:08:24,958 a 360 degree review 180 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,000 where you can anonymously say something about 181 00:08:27,083 --> 00:08:29,750 a fellow employee and you are impugning their character, 182 00:08:29,833 --> 00:08:31,583 you are attacking their productivity. 183 00:08:31,667 --> 00:08:34,750 Whether or not it's true, you think you can get away with it 184 00:08:34,833 --> 00:08:37,417 because it's anonymous, and maybe by taking them down 185 00:08:37,500 --> 00:08:39,667 the food chain, it arises an opportunity for you 186 00:08:39,708 --> 00:08:41,625 to go up the food chain. 187 00:08:41,667 --> 00:08:44,583 And our life is just filled with these opportunities to violate 188 00:08:44,667 --> 00:08:46,583 the ninth commandment, to bear false witness, 189 00:08:46,667 --> 00:08:48,333 to give false testimony, 190 00:08:48,375 --> 00:08:52,167 to say things that are not entirely truthful. 191 00:08:52,208 --> 00:08:54,792 Well, how does God feel about this? 192 00:08:54,833 --> 00:08:59,208 He says this in Proverbs 6:16-19, 193 00:08:59,292 --> 00:09:01,667 that there are things that he detests, 194 00:09:01,708 --> 00:09:04,708 there are things that he hates, there are things that he abhors. 195 00:09:04,792 --> 00:09:06,125 How about you? 196 00:09:06,167 --> 00:09:07,542 What really angers you? 197 00:09:07,625 --> 00:09:08,958 What frustrates you? 198 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:10,333 What upsets you? 199 00:09:10,417 --> 00:09:14,208 What do you not have ears to hear, eyes to see? 200 00:09:14,292 --> 00:09:18,042 You don't have the patience to endure, you can't tolerate that. 201 00:09:18,125 --> 00:09:22,083 God has a list of things like that. 202 00:09:22,167 --> 00:09:24,417 There are six things that the Lord hates, 203 00:09:24,500 --> 00:09:30,167 very strong language, seven that are an abomination to him. 204 00:09:30,208 --> 00:09:33,167 And then it goes on to say that among them is, quote, 205 00:09:33,208 --> 00:09:37,250 "A false witness who breathes out lies." 206 00:09:37,333 --> 00:09:39,833 Here's why. 207 00:09:39,917 --> 00:09:45,125 It's not just an offense on the person, 208 00:09:45,167 --> 00:09:48,417 it's an offense on the God who made them. 209 00:09:48,500 --> 00:09:52,833 Because the Bible says it this way in Titus 1:2, 210 00:09:52,875 --> 00:09:55,500 "God never lies." 211 00:09:55,583 --> 00:10:00,000 Some of your translations, it'll say, "God cannot lie." 212 00:10:00,083 --> 00:10:01,958 God is only truthful. 213 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:03,792 God is always truthful. 214 00:10:03,833 --> 00:10:05,750 God is altogether truthful. 215 00:10:05,833 --> 00:10:09,875 There is nothing in God's character that is untrustworthy 216 00:10:09,958 --> 00:10:11,917 or unreliable. 217 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:13,583 There's no deception. 218 00:10:13,667 --> 00:10:17,500 There's no dishonesty in God at all. 219 00:10:17,542 --> 00:10:23,625 And Jesus says, regarding Satan in John 8, that he's a liar, 220 00:10:23,667 --> 00:10:26,000 that he's the father of all lies. 221 00:10:26,083 --> 00:10:31,500 So, when you are lying, you are giving birth 222 00:10:31,583 --> 00:10:34,958 with Satan to death. 223 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:38,625 And he says that lying is his native language. 224 00:10:38,667 --> 00:10:40,333 Now, how many of you are bilingual, 225 00:10:40,417 --> 00:10:42,500 you can speak multiple languages? 226 00:10:42,583 --> 00:10:45,583 Your native language is your strongest language. 227 00:10:45,667 --> 00:10:47,125 It's your first language. 228 00:10:47,167 --> 00:10:48,833 Satan's bilingual. 229 00:10:48,875 --> 00:10:51,042 He can communicate lies to the whole world, 230 00:10:51,125 --> 00:10:54,417 but his first language, his native language is lying. 231 00:10:54,500 --> 00:10:56,375 That's what Jesus says. 232 00:10:56,458 --> 00:11:00,667 So God says, "If you're one of my people and you reject 233 00:11:00,750 --> 00:11:04,042 "the truth and you participate in a lie, 234 00:11:04,125 --> 00:11:08,167 "I hate that because it's satanic, it's demonic. 235 00:11:08,250 --> 00:11:10,333 "It's an offense against me. 236 00:11:10,375 --> 00:11:12,167 It's an affront against me." 237 00:11:12,250 --> 00:11:13,583 Do you get that? 238 00:11:13,667 --> 00:11:16,583 So, you and I need to get out of the categories of, 239 00:11:16,667 --> 00:11:18,000 "Oh, what do I think?" 240 00:11:18,042 --> 00:11:19,375 or "How do I feel?" 241 00:11:19,458 --> 00:11:21,250 and what does God say? 242 00:11:21,333 --> 00:11:23,625 And he puts lying 243 00:11:23,667 --> 00:11:28,292 at such an incredible position of hatred 244 00:11:28,333 --> 00:11:32,417 that we have to start to see it as God sees it, 245 00:11:32,500 --> 00:11:36,125 and feel as God feels, and respond as God desires. 246 00:11:36,167 --> 00:11:38,000 And here's why. 247 00:11:38,083 --> 00:11:42,833 God loves his glory and God loves your neighbor. 248 00:11:42,917 --> 00:11:46,500 One of the things that happens as we transition in our culture 249 00:11:46,542 --> 00:11:50,083 from theology to therapy is that our lives move from being 250 00:11:50,167 --> 00:11:55,042 God-centered to me-centered, and what is lacking, then, 251 00:11:55,125 --> 00:11:58,667 is any love for our neighbor. 252 00:11:58,750 --> 00:12:01,292 So we use people, we don't love them. 253 00:12:01,333 --> 00:12:04,833 And when we lie, what we are saying is the lie will benefit 254 00:12:04,917 --> 00:12:08,125 me at your expense, and I'm okay with that because 255 00:12:08,167 --> 00:12:12,500 I'm more important than you. 256 00:12:12,583 --> 00:12:14,708 They come to Jesus and they ask him, 257 00:12:14,792 --> 00:12:16,500 "So, summarize the Ten Commandments." 258 00:12:16,583 --> 00:12:18,500 And Jesus says, "Well, if you're gonna tweet 259 00:12:18,542 --> 00:12:21,333 "the Ten Commandments, here it is. 260 00:12:21,417 --> 00:12:23,375 Love God and love your neighbor." 261 00:12:23,458 --> 00:12:25,792 That's the summary. 262 00:12:25,833 --> 00:12:27,792 The first four commandments are about loving God, 263 00:12:27,833 --> 00:12:30,167 the last six are about loving your neighbor. 264 00:12:30,208 --> 00:12:34,958 And God doesn't just love you, God loves your neighbor. 265 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,333 And you may lie because it benefits you, 266 00:12:37,417 --> 00:12:40,708 but it comes at the expense, out of the account of your neighbor. 267 00:12:40,792 --> 00:12:43,542 So, read with me, "You shall not bear false witness against 268 00:12:43,625 --> 00:12:46,000 your neighbor," because God loves your neighbor, 269 00:12:46,042 --> 00:12:48,042 and God cares about your neighbor, 270 00:12:48,125 --> 00:12:50,333 and a lie is an offense on his glory, 271 00:12:50,375 --> 00:12:56,000 and it's an offense on your neighbor's good, 272 00:12:56,042 --> 00:13:00,167 and it hurts people. 273 00:13:00,208 --> 00:13:03,917 Now, as I say this, I'm deeply convicted by this sermon. 274 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,208 I've been preaching it to myself all week, 275 00:13:06,292 --> 00:13:10,167 so I invite you into my conviction. 276 00:13:10,250 --> 00:13:13,667 I communicate a lot, that's my job, 277 00:13:13,708 --> 00:13:17,583 and it's got me running 17 plus years of content 278 00:13:17,667 --> 00:13:20,000 through the ninth commandment filter. 279 00:13:20,042 --> 00:13:22,667 My hands are dirty, your hands are dirty, right? 280 00:13:22,750 --> 00:13:25,750 Isaiah says, "I'm a man of unclean lips and I come from 281 00:13:25,833 --> 00:13:27,667 a people of unclean lips." 282 00:13:27,708 --> 00:13:29,833 There we are. 283 00:13:29,875 --> 00:13:34,458 But to lie about someone, to say something that is untrue is 284 00:13:34,500 --> 00:13:36,917 to assault them in the eyes of God. 285 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,958 Here's how it is stated in Proverbs 25:18. 286 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,500 "A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is 287 00:13:42,583 --> 00:13:48,458 like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow." 288 00:13:48,500 --> 00:13:53,125 It's beating someone, it's assaulting someone, 289 00:13:53,167 --> 00:13:57,333 it's murder of their reputation. 290 00:13:57,417 --> 00:14:00,792 If you're lying about someone, really what you're doing 291 00:14:00,833 --> 00:14:04,833 is--it's the equivalent of pulling a gun on them. 292 00:14:04,917 --> 00:14:08,625 You're intending to do malicious harm. 293 00:14:08,667 --> 00:14:12,625 It's willful intent to harm them. 294 00:14:12,667 --> 00:14:15,000 So, by definition, a lie is two things. 295 00:14:15,042 --> 00:14:17,958 It is saying anything that is untrue or not saying 296 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:21,292 all that is true. 297 00:14:21,333 --> 00:14:24,500 It is saying what is untrue and not saying all that is true. 298 00:14:24,542 --> 00:14:27,250 I'll give you two illustrations. 299 00:14:27,333 --> 00:14:29,917 The first, saying what is untrue. 300 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:33,042 I knew my life was going to get harder some years ago. 301 00:14:33,125 --> 00:14:36,250 We started the church, and then the Internet sort of became 302 00:14:36,333 --> 00:14:39,000 more popular, and people started doing this new thing called 303 00:14:39,083 --> 00:14:41,667 blogging, and then this whole concept of social media. 304 00:14:41,708 --> 00:14:44,167 I'm old enough, we've been around awhile. 305 00:14:44,250 --> 00:14:46,417 And I had a grandma come up to me. 306 00:14:46,500 --> 00:14:48,333 I was preaching at Mars Hill Ballard, 307 00:14:48,375 --> 00:14:51,792 and I had a grandma--real sweet, nice, you know, great-looking, 308 00:14:51,833 --> 00:14:55,458 cute face, big smile, happy old granny--come up to me, 309 00:14:55,500 --> 00:14:58,458 somebody I knew, had been in the church for a little bit. 310 00:14:58,500 --> 00:15:00,500 She walked up to me after the sermon. 311 00:15:00,583 --> 00:15:03,167 "Pastor Mark, I just wanted to let you know I'm leaving 312 00:15:03,250 --> 00:15:04,917 the church and I'm never coming back." 313 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:06,333 I was pretty devastated. 314 00:15:06,375 --> 00:15:07,708 "Well, why?" 315 00:15:07,792 --> 00:15:10,708 She said, "I cannot be part of a church that accepts men 316 00:15:10,792 --> 00:15:12,958 who beat their wives." 317 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,875 I said, "Well, that's not our church. 318 00:15:15,958 --> 00:15:19,667 "That's not what we--you tell me what man is beating his wife 319 00:15:19,750 --> 00:15:23,000 and I promise you, I'll deal with him." 320 00:15:23,083 --> 00:15:27,000 She said, "It's you." 321 00:15:28,750 --> 00:15:32,833 I said, "Are you saying that I beat my wife?" 322 00:15:32,917 --> 00:15:35,125 She said, "Yeah." 323 00:15:35,167 --> 00:15:38,625 I said, "Ma'am, I have never raised a hand to a woman 324 00:15:38,667 --> 00:15:45,208 in my life and I never will, especially my wife." 325 00:15:45,292 --> 00:15:48,292 I said, "Where did you hear that?" 326 00:15:48,333 --> 00:15:51,833 She said, "I read it on the Internet." 327 00:15:51,875 --> 00:15:54,667 Okay, now this is in the early days of the Internet 328 00:15:54,708 --> 00:15:56,458 and she's a grandma, okay? 329 00:15:56,500 --> 00:16:01,625 So--but she thought, "It must be true." 330 00:16:01,667 --> 00:16:04,125 For her, there was no difference between the Internet 331 00:16:04,167 --> 00:16:05,583 and the newspaper, 332 00:16:05,667 --> 00:16:07,875 and I've come to find the newspaper's not entirely 333 00:16:07,958 --> 00:16:10,500 true either, okay? 334 00:16:10,583 --> 00:16:12,500 I used to write for the newspaper. 335 00:16:12,583 --> 00:16:17,000 I can just tell you, don't believe everything you read. 336 00:16:17,042 --> 00:16:19,583 But I said, "Ma'am, who said this?" 337 00:16:19,667 --> 00:16:22,167 She said, "Well, this person who wrote this. 338 00:16:22,208 --> 00:16:23,583 This is what they--" 339 00:16:23,667 --> 00:16:25,083 I said, "I've never met them. 340 00:16:25,167 --> 00:16:26,583 "They don't live in our city. 341 00:16:26,667 --> 00:16:28,083 "They've never been to our church. 342 00:16:28,167 --> 00:16:29,500 They don't know my wife." 343 00:16:29,542 --> 00:16:31,000 I said, "This is a lie." 344 00:16:31,042 --> 00:16:34,000 She said, "I think it's true, so I'm leaving," and she left, 345 00:16:34,042 --> 00:16:35,500 and I've not seen her since. 346 00:16:35,542 --> 00:16:36,875 It's been many years. 347 00:16:36,958 --> 00:16:40,292 A lie is when we say something that is untrue or we don't say 348 00:16:40,333 --> 00:16:41,667 everything that is true. 349 00:16:41,750 --> 00:16:44,667 How many of you, you'll release a little bit of the facts, 350 00:16:44,750 --> 00:16:47,667 hold a few back, arrange them in a particular order so that 351 00:16:47,750 --> 00:16:49,875 what was the truth is no longer the truth, 352 00:16:49,958 --> 00:16:52,625 but it benefits you and maybe you'll get away with it? 353 00:16:52,667 --> 00:16:54,500 I've used the analogy before, this illustration, 354 00:16:54,583 --> 00:16:57,500 but I learned this very quickly in ministry. 355 00:16:57,583 --> 00:17:00,250 In the early days of Mars Hill, there was a couple 356 00:17:00,333 --> 00:17:01,875 that Grace and I were helping. 357 00:17:01,958 --> 00:17:03,625 And she called me up, "Pastor Mark, 358 00:17:03,667 --> 00:17:05,667 "my husband is--he's become very physical with me. 359 00:17:05,750 --> 00:17:07,667 "He grabbed me and restrained me. 360 00:17:07,750 --> 00:17:09,500 You need to deal with him." 361 00:17:09,542 --> 00:17:11,458 Okay, maybe we've got an abused wife. 362 00:17:11,500 --> 00:17:13,167 Maybe we've got some sort of crime, 363 00:17:13,250 --> 00:17:14,958 we've got to get the cops involved. 364 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:16,958 I don't know, so I called him up. 365 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,667 I said, "You need to come into my office right away. 366 00:17:19,750 --> 00:17:21,167 "You need to bring your wife. 367 00:17:21,250 --> 00:17:23,375 We need to get to the bottom of this." 368 00:17:23,458 --> 00:17:25,375 He showed up with her and I said, 369 00:17:25,458 --> 00:17:27,375 "Is it true that you grabbed your wife, 370 00:17:27,458 --> 00:17:28,792 you physical restrained your wife?" 371 00:17:28,833 --> 00:17:30,500 He said, "It's true," and he said, 372 00:17:30,583 --> 00:17:32,500 "but did she tell you the whole context?" 373 00:17:32,583 --> 00:17:34,000 I was like, "No." 374 00:17:34,083 --> 00:17:36,500 He said, "You see this huge gash in my head?" 375 00:17:36,583 --> 00:17:38,125 "Yeah, I did notice that." 376 00:17:38,167 --> 00:17:42,042 That's where she slammed a plate into my head." 377 00:17:42,125 --> 00:17:45,042 So, they're having dinner, she got ticked, grabbed his plate, 378 00:17:45,125 --> 00:17:49,333 and slammed it into his head and cut him open. 379 00:17:49,375 --> 00:17:52,667 And he said, "Then, she grabbed a steak knife and was going to 380 00:17:52,750 --> 00:17:56,333 stab me in the face, so I grabbed her wrist." 381 00:17:56,417 --> 00:17:58,833 I looked at her, I said, "Is this what happened?" 382 00:17:58,917 --> 00:18:00,333 She said, "Well, sort of." 383 00:18:00,375 --> 00:18:05,000 I was like, "Well, it did or it didn't." 384 00:18:05,042 --> 00:18:06,375 It's like, "Are you pregnant?" 385 00:18:06,458 --> 00:18:07,792 "Sort of." 386 00:18:07,833 --> 00:18:10,708 Well, you either are or you're not. 387 00:18:10,792 --> 00:18:13,292 I said, "You left those details--those are--" 388 00:18:13,333 --> 00:18:18,667 Okay, jury, jury, those are important variables. 389 00:18:18,708 --> 00:18:23,042 She was going to murder him by stabbing him in the face 390 00:18:23,125 --> 00:18:27,500 and he grabbed her wrist to save his life. 391 00:18:27,542 --> 00:18:29,625 Does that factor into our verdict? 392 00:18:29,667 --> 00:18:32,250 Yeah, yeah. 393 00:18:32,333 --> 00:18:34,833 I said, "Has he ever done that to you before?" 394 00:18:34,875 --> 00:18:36,500 "Nope, this was the first time." 395 00:18:36,542 --> 00:18:40,333 I'm going to go out on the edge of a limb and say I think 396 00:18:40,375 --> 00:18:44,708 I know why it started on that day, 397 00:18:44,792 --> 00:18:47,333 because you were going to stab him in the face. 398 00:18:47,375 --> 00:18:49,708 It's a huge variable, right? 399 00:18:49,792 --> 00:18:52,833 But what she did is she didn't say anything that was untrue. 400 00:18:52,917 --> 00:18:54,500 "My husband grabbed my wrist." 401 00:18:54,583 --> 00:18:57,958 What she said was not entirely true, 402 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:01,042 not entirely true, okay? 403 00:19:01,125 --> 00:19:04,625 We take spousal abuse very seriously, 404 00:19:04,667 --> 00:19:08,750 and also attempted murder, okay? 405 00:19:08,833 --> 00:19:14,292 So, lying is when we don't tell what is true or we don't tell 406 00:19:14,333 --> 00:19:18,083 all that is true. 407 00:19:18,167 --> 00:19:24,917 Now, let me say this because some of you are very religious, 408 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:26,583 you're very tidy. 409 00:19:26,667 --> 00:19:28,500 You're very, very tidy. 410 00:19:28,583 --> 00:19:31,167 Your spice rack is in alphabetical order. 411 00:19:31,250 --> 00:19:33,458 All your shirts are ironed, even your t-shirts. 412 00:19:33,500 --> 00:19:35,167 You're just very tidy. 413 00:19:35,250 --> 00:19:37,000 You're engineers, you're accountants, 414 00:19:37,042 --> 00:19:38,667 you're control freaks. 415 00:19:38,750 --> 00:19:40,750 Right now, you're like, 416 00:19:40,833 --> 00:19:44,917 "Hey, hey, move on with the sermon already. 417 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:46,833 This is taking too long." 418 00:19:46,917 --> 00:19:48,417 Okay, you guys, okay? 419 00:19:48,500 --> 00:19:50,625 You're very tidy, and what you're going to do, 420 00:19:50,667 --> 00:19:52,625 you're going to go to the ninth commandment 421 00:19:52,667 --> 00:19:54,833 and you're going to give no grace to anyone. 422 00:19:54,875 --> 00:19:57,333 You're going to hold to the letter of the law 423 00:19:57,375 --> 00:19:59,042 and violate the spirit of the law, 424 00:19:59,125 --> 00:20:01,250 so let me tell you that there's a difference, 425 00:20:01,333 --> 00:20:02,667 when it comes to lying, 426 00:20:02,708 --> 00:20:05,167 between a mistake and malice. 427 00:20:05,208 --> 00:20:08,333 And the real issue is the motive. 428 00:20:08,375 --> 00:20:11,167 When there's malice, it's intent to deceive, 429 00:20:11,250 --> 00:20:13,958 but people make mistakes, right? 430 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,750 People make mistakes, so here's--I'll tell you something 431 00:20:16,833 --> 00:20:18,292 about my wife. 432 00:20:18,333 --> 00:20:23,500 She has a peculiar spidey sense ability to find lost things. 433 00:20:23,542 --> 00:20:26,167 So, if one of the kids is like, "Where's my shoe?" 434 00:20:26,250 --> 00:20:30,458 "It's in the attic under the luggage, the red one." 435 00:20:30,500 --> 00:20:33,167 You're like, "How does she--this is amazing." 436 00:20:33,208 --> 00:20:37,417 Like, she could just see lost things like spidey--she finds 437 00:20:37,500 --> 00:20:39,083 lost things all the time. 438 00:20:39,167 --> 00:20:40,500 So, anytime something is lost-- 439 00:20:40,542 --> 00:20:42,000 recently it was the Roku remote. 440 00:20:42,042 --> 00:20:44,000 "Where's the Roku remote? Mom, hey!" 441 00:20:44,042 --> 00:20:45,375 We just ask her. 442 00:20:45,458 --> 00:20:48,333 She never uses the Roku remote, but she could find it, okay? 443 00:20:48,375 --> 00:20:49,708 That's my wife. 444 00:20:49,792 --> 00:20:52,708 "Oh, it's under the couch, on the left, in the dark part. 445 00:20:52,792 --> 00:20:54,125 "You probably didn't see it. 446 00:20:54,167 --> 00:20:55,500 "Get a flash light. 447 00:20:55,583 --> 00:20:57,500 Lift up the couch," and there it is. 448 00:20:57,583 --> 00:20:58,917 That's amazing. 449 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,500 So, anytime I lose something, I will diligently look for 450 00:21:01,542 --> 00:21:04,208 5 to 6 seconds, and then I'll yell out, "Hey Grace, 451 00:21:04,292 --> 00:21:05,708 have you seen my car keys?" 452 00:21:05,792 --> 00:21:07,125 because I know she has. 453 00:21:07,167 --> 00:21:08,500 She's got this amazing ability. 454 00:21:08,583 --> 00:21:11,250 So recently, I asked her, "Hey, have you seen my keys?" 455 00:21:11,333 --> 00:21:12,667 I lost them again. 456 00:21:12,708 --> 00:21:14,333 She said, "They're on the counter." 457 00:21:14,375 --> 00:21:17,667 So, I go to the counter, they're not there. 458 00:21:17,708 --> 00:21:20,542 Should I invoke the ninth commandment? 459 00:21:20,625 --> 00:21:23,667 "Liar, I married a liar! My wife is a liar! 460 00:21:23,708 --> 00:21:26,833 "The pastor's wife is a liar! Liar! 461 00:21:26,875 --> 00:21:28,333 "How can I trust you? 462 00:21:28,417 --> 00:21:30,333 "Our whole relationship is now built on 463 00:21:30,375 --> 00:21:33,750 the foundation of deceit!" 464 00:21:33,833 --> 00:21:35,417 Probably not, right? 465 00:21:35,500 --> 00:21:37,917 They probably were on the counter and I moved them, 466 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:39,667 or they were there two days ago, 467 00:21:39,708 --> 00:21:41,042 or the dog ate them. 468 00:21:41,125 --> 00:21:42,458 Something happened. 469 00:21:42,500 --> 00:21:44,250 It's a mistake. 470 00:21:44,333 --> 00:21:46,917 There's a difference between that and malice. 471 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:49,958 So, malice, I'll use an illustration from my life. 472 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:56,667 I was raised by a mom and dad, Deb and Joe, 473 00:21:56,750 --> 00:21:59,458 and they go to Mars Hill, and I love them, 474 00:21:59,500 --> 00:22:06,000 and I just want to publicly apologize for my childhood 475 00:22:06,083 --> 00:22:09,333 because raising me was like raising a small attorney 476 00:22:09,375 --> 00:22:11,333 with nefarious intent. 477 00:22:11,417 --> 00:22:13,625 I, pound for pound, was quite a litigator. 478 00:22:13,667 --> 00:22:16,042 I know this is hard to think--"What? 479 00:22:16,125 --> 00:22:18,333 "Mark would build a case, and hold to it, 480 00:22:18,417 --> 00:22:20,958 "and was very difficult to argue with? 481 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:22,625 Hard to imagine." 482 00:22:22,667 --> 00:22:25,083 But just strain your imagination to consider that that was 483 00:22:25,167 --> 00:22:26,750 reality, as hard as it is. 484 00:22:26,833 --> 00:22:29,167 So, as a little kid, I would negotiate everything 485 00:22:29,208 --> 00:22:30,542 with my parents. 486 00:22:30,625 --> 00:22:32,750 And they would argue, and I'd build a case 487 00:22:32,833 --> 00:22:34,167 and I'd defend myself. 488 00:22:34,208 --> 00:22:36,333 And I could be the accusing or defending attorney, 489 00:22:36,417 --> 00:22:37,750 whatever the case was. 490 00:22:37,833 --> 00:22:39,250 And I'll give you one occasion. 491 00:22:39,333 --> 00:22:42,917 I was a little kid and I wanted to go out and ride my bike, 492 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:44,917 and have fun, and play with my friends. 493 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,125 And it was summer and I wanted to go have a good time. 494 00:22:48,167 --> 00:22:50,125 And I came to my mom and said, 495 00:22:50,167 --> 00:22:52,125 "Hey, Mom, can I jump on my bike? 496 00:22:52,167 --> 00:22:53,625 "Can I go to so-and-so's house? 497 00:22:53,667 --> 00:22:56,125 We're going to go play and do this and that." 498 00:22:56,167 --> 00:22:58,792 She said, "You can't go anywhere until your room is cleaned, 499 00:22:58,833 --> 00:23:00,250 okay?" 500 00:23:00,333 --> 00:23:03,250 She looks at me and she said, "So, is your room clean?" 501 00:23:03,333 --> 00:23:05,000 I said, quote, "It should be," okay? 502 00:23:05,042 --> 00:23:06,375 My mother then says--Deb says, 503 00:23:06,458 --> 00:23:08,125 "Okay, well have fun with your friends." 504 00:23:08,167 --> 00:23:11,500 I jump on my bike, ride as fast as I can, get far away, 505 00:23:11,583 --> 00:23:13,250 have a nice day with my friends. 506 00:23:13,333 --> 00:23:14,750 I'm gone until late, it's dark. 507 00:23:14,833 --> 00:23:17,958 I come home for dinner, I walk in the door, and here's Deb, 508 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:19,333 "You lied to me! 509 00:23:19,417 --> 00:23:23,458 Marky," she still calls me that, "you lied to me!" 510 00:23:23,500 --> 00:23:30,375 So, little attorney, "Explain that, Mom. 511 00:23:30,458 --> 00:23:33,208 "Present your case. 512 00:23:33,292 --> 00:23:35,167 How do you think I lied to you?" 513 00:23:35,208 --> 00:23:37,000 "You said your room was clean." 514 00:23:37,042 --> 00:23:39,667 "No, Deb, I didn't. 515 00:23:39,708 --> 00:23:46,333 "I said it should be, and it should be. 516 00:23:46,417 --> 00:23:51,333 "We both know it's not, 517 00:23:51,375 --> 00:23:54,833 "but I didn't say it was clean. 518 00:23:54,875 --> 00:24:00,167 I said it should be." 519 00:24:00,208 --> 00:24:02,375 Was that a mistake? 520 00:24:02,458 --> 00:24:08,542 No, Deb, Joe, Deb's wooden spoon, right, 521 00:24:08,625 --> 00:24:12,625 three witnesses would all testify my intent 522 00:24:12,667 --> 00:24:14,250 was to deceive. 523 00:24:14,333 --> 00:24:16,708 That's what happened to Marky. 524 00:24:16,792 --> 00:24:19,125 It wasn't a mistake, it was malice. 525 00:24:19,167 --> 00:24:24,000 My motive was to manipulate and to deceive. 526 00:24:24,042 --> 00:24:25,375 There's a difference. 527 00:24:25,458 --> 00:24:28,125 So, there are times we've got to give one another grace. 528 00:24:28,167 --> 00:24:30,792 It was a mistake, you know, you thought the keys were 529 00:24:30,833 --> 00:24:32,167 on the counter, they're not. 530 00:24:32,250 --> 00:24:34,000 There are other times, you're like, man, 531 00:24:34,083 --> 00:24:35,417 that was intent to deceive. 532 00:24:35,500 --> 00:24:36,875 The motive there was impure. 533 00:24:36,958 --> 00:24:41,333 So, what I want to do now is I want to look at five areas 534 00:24:41,417 --> 00:24:45,333 where a lie can creep into your life. 535 00:24:45,417 --> 00:24:48,542 Sin is like water. 536 00:24:48,625 --> 00:24:50,417 It always finds the crack. 537 00:24:50,500 --> 00:24:52,458 It always finds the low point. 538 00:24:52,500 --> 00:24:54,375 It always finds the opportunity. 539 00:24:54,458 --> 00:24:58,375 It settles in so that it can erode. 540 00:24:58,458 --> 00:25:00,708 That's why, as we're dealing with the Ten Commandments, 541 00:25:00,792 --> 00:25:03,708 I'm dealing with the principle, then I want to make it really 542 00:25:03,792 --> 00:25:05,708 practical to deal with all the potential areas 543 00:25:05,792 --> 00:25:10,667 in your life and mine where sin can seep in. 544 00:25:10,708 --> 00:25:13,042 That's why we seal our countertops, 545 00:25:13,125 --> 00:25:16,250 and we seal our decks, and we seal our driveways, 546 00:25:16,333 --> 00:25:18,208 so that it doesn't have an opportunity 547 00:25:18,292 --> 00:25:20,333 to find the low point. 548 00:25:20,417 --> 00:25:23,500 Well, there's low points in our life and in our soul where sin 549 00:25:23,542 --> 00:25:26,833 gets in there, and I want to look at five of these with you. 550 00:25:26,917 --> 00:25:29,917 These are areas where the ninth commandment 551 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:33,750 is frequently, if not even easily, violated. 552 00:25:33,833 --> 00:25:37,292 The first is flattery, okay, flattery. 553 00:25:37,333 --> 00:25:40,792 Have you enjoyed the Ten Commandments? 554 00:25:40,833 --> 00:25:43,875 Has it--have I done a good job for you? 555 00:25:43,958 --> 00:25:47,583 Okay, do you like the vest? 556 00:25:47,667 --> 00:25:50,083 It's a new look for me, okay? 557 00:25:50,167 --> 00:25:51,542 How about the beard? 558 00:25:51,625 --> 00:25:53,208 Do you like the beard? 559 00:25:53,292 --> 00:25:54,917 It's sort of like hipster dad. 560 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:59,667 I feel like I'm really bringing two worlds together, okay? 561 00:25:59,708 --> 00:26:02,750 And you guys, during the series, 562 00:26:02,833 --> 00:26:04,625 you've been amazing. 563 00:26:04,667 --> 00:26:07,333 The attendance has been strong, the giving has been strong, 564 00:26:07,375 --> 00:26:10,375 the response has been strong because you guys are the best. 565 00:26:10,458 --> 00:26:12,417 I've got the best people on the earth. 566 00:26:12,500 --> 00:26:15,333 Thank you for being the best people on the earth. 567 00:26:15,417 --> 00:26:18,167 So, one of the ways that we violate the ninth commandment 568 00:26:18,208 --> 00:26:21,167 is flattery, Psalm 12:2. 569 00:26:21,208 --> 00:26:22,625 See how easy that was? 570 00:26:22,667 --> 00:26:25,500 For a moment there, you're like, "I kind of like this, 571 00:26:25,542 --> 00:26:29,167 "but I think he's setting us up because he's not usually nice. 572 00:26:29,208 --> 00:26:32,167 There must be a point where he punches us in a second." 573 00:26:32,250 --> 00:26:33,583 Well, here it is. 574 00:26:33,667 --> 00:26:36,750 Psalm 12:2, "Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; 575 00:26:36,833 --> 00:26:38,958 with flattering lips and a double heart they speak." 576 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:41,958 You can have a double mind, you can have a double tongue, 577 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:43,458 you can have a double heart. 578 00:26:43,500 --> 00:26:44,958 Flattery is this. 579 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:46,708 Flattery is insincere and excessive praise 580 00:26:46,792 --> 00:26:51,000 intended to manipulate, right singles? 581 00:26:51,083 --> 00:26:54,458 How many of you singles, you're like, "Hey! 582 00:26:54,500 --> 00:26:58,292 That was my 'get a spouse' plan"? 583 00:26:58,333 --> 00:27:01,792 "You are so smart. You look amazing. 584 00:27:01,833 --> 00:27:03,250 "Have you lost weight? 585 00:27:03,333 --> 00:27:05,250 "I saw you at work, that was incredible. 586 00:27:05,333 --> 00:27:07,250 "You're with that guy? He's such a jerk. 587 00:27:07,333 --> 00:27:11,083 Somebody should treat you better," right? 588 00:27:11,167 --> 00:27:12,667 Yes, okay. 589 00:27:12,708 --> 00:27:15,833 How many of you, there was a kid in your family who was 590 00:27:15,917 --> 00:27:19,083 the favorite because they were the kiss up? 591 00:27:19,167 --> 00:27:23,833 "Mom, you look so nice. Have you lost weight? 592 00:27:23,917 --> 00:27:26,083 "Could I have a cookie since you're obviously 593 00:27:26,167 --> 00:27:30,792 not eating them anymore?" 594 00:27:30,833 --> 00:27:33,917 You look at that sibling, you're thinking two things. 595 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:37,208 "They're evil" and "I should have thought of that." 596 00:27:37,292 --> 00:27:38,958 Right? 597 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:42,333 How many of you, at school, there was the teacher's-- 598 00:27:42,375 --> 00:27:44,125 But they're the suck-up. 599 00:27:44,167 --> 00:27:46,625 "Teacher, I showed up early. I brought you an apple. 600 00:27:46,667 --> 00:27:48,125 "I prayed for you this morning. 601 00:27:48,167 --> 00:27:50,500 "Is there any garbage cans I can clean? 602 00:27:50,542 --> 00:27:52,875 Do I have to take the test?" 603 00:27:52,958 --> 00:27:56,417 "No, you don't have to take the test," right? 604 00:27:56,500 --> 00:28:00,500 How many of you, you have this person at work? 605 00:28:00,583 --> 00:28:02,958 They're the suck-up to the boss. 606 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:05,458 They're always sucking up to the boss 607 00:28:05,500 --> 00:28:08,167 so that they can manipulate the boss to get a raise, 608 00:28:08,208 --> 00:28:11,208 or a promotion, or to avoid work. 609 00:28:11,292 --> 00:28:12,833 We do this all the time. 610 00:28:12,875 --> 00:28:14,208 It's flattery. 611 00:28:14,292 --> 00:28:16,667 Some of you have really carved out a successful life 612 00:28:16,750 --> 00:28:21,208 for yourself predicated, in large part, upon flattery. 613 00:28:21,292 --> 00:28:23,750 And let me say that flattery is a violation of 614 00:28:23,833 --> 00:28:25,250 the ninth commandment 615 00:28:25,333 --> 00:28:26,750 because you're not saying what's true, 616 00:28:26,833 --> 00:28:28,500 you're saying what they want to hear 617 00:28:28,542 --> 00:28:30,000 so that you can manipulate them. 618 00:28:30,042 --> 00:28:32,500 And the motive of the heart is one of deception, 619 00:28:32,542 --> 00:28:35,792 and it is flattery, and that's your motive. 620 00:28:35,833 --> 00:28:38,167 But this is different from the gift of encouragement. 621 00:28:38,250 --> 00:28:40,000 I want to distinguish these. 622 00:28:40,083 --> 00:28:43,375 Because flattery is not trying to encourage someone 623 00:28:43,458 --> 00:28:46,542 in the truth, it's trying to lie to someone 624 00:28:46,625 --> 00:28:48,500 to manipulate the outcome. 625 00:28:48,583 --> 00:28:50,667 But some of you have the gift of encouragement. 626 00:28:50,750 --> 00:28:52,375 You're just naturally encouraging. 627 00:28:52,458 --> 00:28:55,708 You're generally happy people and you look at the bright side. 628 00:28:55,792 --> 00:28:57,917 And you're like, "I got hit by a car." 629 00:28:58,000 --> 00:28:59,667 "Praise the Lord it wasn't a truck. 630 00:28:59,708 --> 00:29:02,208 Imagine how terrible it'd be if it was a truck." 631 00:29:02,292 --> 00:29:04,875 You're like, "I never thought of it like that, thank you. 632 00:29:04,958 --> 00:29:06,875 Yeah, a truck would have been far worse." 633 00:29:06,958 --> 00:29:08,292 "Or a bus." 634 00:29:08,333 --> 00:29:10,292 "Well, yeah, a bus would have been horrific. 635 00:29:10,333 --> 00:29:11,792 And it was just a little--" 636 00:29:11,833 --> 00:29:13,500 and you have the gift of encouragement. 637 00:29:13,583 --> 00:29:15,708 Every scenario, you have a positive spin on it, 638 00:29:15,792 --> 00:29:17,708 and some of us are not like that. 639 00:29:17,792 --> 00:29:19,917 All right, we have the gift of discouragement, okay? 640 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:22,125 But those of you with the gift of encouragement, 641 00:29:22,167 --> 00:29:23,833 it's a spiritual gift that God gives. 642 00:29:23,917 --> 00:29:25,250 That's different than flattery. 643 00:29:25,333 --> 00:29:27,250 Somebody who truly has the gift of encouragement, 644 00:29:27,333 --> 00:29:29,250 they're willing to say the truthful, hard things, 645 00:29:29,333 --> 00:29:32,250 but they do so in love for the good of the person. 646 00:29:32,333 --> 00:29:34,750 The person who's using flattery, it's not for the good 647 00:29:34,833 --> 00:29:36,958 of the person, it's the using of the person. 648 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:38,792 You're not helping them, you're harming them. 649 00:29:38,833 --> 00:29:41,250 You're not loving them, you're using them. 650 00:29:41,333 --> 00:29:44,125 My daughter Alexi's got the gift of encouragement. 651 00:29:44,167 --> 00:29:47,833 She knows I have a tough week, so yesterday I go to my computer 652 00:29:47,917 --> 00:29:51,250 and there is a picture she drew and put on my laptop. 653 00:29:51,333 --> 00:29:53,750 It's her and me smiling, holding hands. 654 00:29:53,833 --> 00:29:55,333 "Daddy, I love you. 655 00:29:55,417 --> 00:29:57,042 "You're going to do great this week. 656 00:29:57,125 --> 00:29:58,458 I'm praying for you." 657 00:29:58,500 --> 00:30:00,042 She's just encouraging. 658 00:30:00,125 --> 00:30:02,125 That's not flattery. 659 00:30:02,167 --> 00:30:04,792 There's a motive of the heart that's different between 660 00:30:04,833 --> 00:30:06,958 encouragement and flattery, 661 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:09,375 and we know when we're doing it, right? 662 00:30:09,458 --> 00:30:12,583 We know when we're doing it, and flattery's a violation of 663 00:30:12,667 --> 00:30:14,000 the ninth commandment. 664 00:30:14,083 --> 00:30:15,750 Number two, deception. 665 00:30:15,833 --> 00:30:19,083 1 John 3:7, "Little children, let no one deceive you." 666 00:30:19,167 --> 00:30:20,667 Here's the big idea. 667 00:30:20,708 --> 00:30:23,375 How many of you really feel like you're a little kid? 668 00:30:23,458 --> 00:30:24,792 You usually don't right? 669 00:30:24,833 --> 00:30:26,500 You're like, "I'm an adult." 670 00:30:26,583 --> 00:30:31,000 God's our Father, he looks at us, like, in some regards, 671 00:30:31,083 --> 00:30:32,833 we're still kids. 672 00:30:32,917 --> 00:30:35,458 John here is a man who's about 100 years old. 673 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:37,000 He was one of Jesus' disciples. 674 00:30:37,083 --> 00:30:39,208 He's looking at the church and it includes people 675 00:30:39,292 --> 00:30:40,625 of all ages, like ours. 676 00:30:40,667 --> 00:30:44,000 And he says, "Little children, let no one deceive you." 677 00:30:44,042 --> 00:30:47,167 Have you noticed that kids are easy to deceive? 678 00:30:47,250 --> 00:30:49,458 You could fool a kid pretty easy, right? 679 00:30:49,500 --> 00:30:51,333 They're a little gullible, a little naive. 680 00:30:51,375 --> 00:30:53,750 You could tell them something and they'll actually believe it. 681 00:30:53,833 --> 00:30:56,250 Sometimes we're like that. 682 00:30:56,333 --> 00:30:59,208 We don't just have a child-like faith, we have a childish faith, 683 00:30:59,292 --> 00:31:02,792 and if we're trusting someone who is deceptive, 684 00:31:02,833 --> 00:31:06,292 we find ourselves in a dangerous circumstance. 685 00:31:06,333 --> 00:31:10,833 He says, "So what this is is it's a sin to deceive someone 686 00:31:10,875 --> 00:31:14,667 and it's a sin to allow someone to deceive you." 687 00:31:14,708 --> 00:31:17,208 This means that they're responsible for their deception 688 00:31:17,292 --> 00:31:21,417 and we're responsible for believing their deception. 689 00:31:21,500 --> 00:31:23,458 So, we're not always and only victims, 690 00:31:23,500 --> 00:31:25,500 we're also morally culpable 691 00:31:25,583 --> 00:31:29,167 and responsible for believing lies. 692 00:31:29,250 --> 00:31:33,375 Deception is where we twist what was the truth into a weapon 693 00:31:33,458 --> 00:31:37,250 for harm and destruction. 694 00:31:37,333 --> 00:31:40,667 How many of you don't believe all the political advertising 695 00:31:40,708 --> 00:31:43,042 that rolls out during an election cycle? 696 00:31:43,125 --> 00:31:45,250 How many of you don't watch your TV like, 697 00:31:45,333 --> 00:31:49,167 "Oh my gosh, that's terrible." 698 00:31:49,208 --> 00:31:52,333 Immediately, you're like, "That's probably not true." 699 00:31:52,375 --> 00:31:54,000 They don't tell you the whole story. 700 00:31:54,083 --> 00:31:55,542 They omit a few facts. 701 00:31:55,625 --> 00:31:58,042 Any time it's a few words, and dot, dot, dot, 702 00:31:58,125 --> 00:32:00,625 and a few other words, that might have been something 703 00:32:00,667 --> 00:32:03,125 that somebody said 50 years ago and 15 minutes ago, 704 00:32:03,167 --> 00:32:05,125 and they put them together to communicate something 705 00:32:05,167 --> 00:32:07,083 that was never articulated. 706 00:32:07,167 --> 00:32:09,250 We just assume that our politicians lie. 707 00:32:09,333 --> 00:32:13,750 Lying politician, you don't even need to use both words. 708 00:32:13,833 --> 00:32:16,125 You could just use one. 709 00:32:16,167 --> 00:32:17,500 How about criminals? 710 00:32:17,583 --> 00:32:18,917 How about advertising? 711 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:21,125 How many of you don't trust marketing and advertising? 712 00:32:21,167 --> 00:32:23,500 You don't watch TV like, "Look at that! 713 00:32:23,583 --> 00:32:24,917 That's amazing." 714 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:26,333 It's a lie. 715 00:32:26,375 --> 00:32:28,833 All the fine print at the end, it undermines everything 716 00:32:28,875 --> 00:32:30,667 they're trying to tell you. 717 00:32:30,750 --> 00:32:32,833 This includes, as well, academic fraud. 718 00:32:32,875 --> 00:32:36,333 Is it possible for a student to violate the ninth commandment 719 00:32:36,417 --> 00:32:40,333 by plagiarizing something and turning it in as their own work? 720 00:32:40,375 --> 00:32:42,000 Yes, it's deception. 721 00:32:42,042 --> 00:32:44,500 It's pretending like this is my work when it's not. 722 00:32:44,583 --> 00:32:46,708 What about a student who cheats on a test? 723 00:32:46,792 --> 00:32:48,125 "Here's my answers." 724 00:32:48,167 --> 00:32:49,833 No, those aren't your answers. You cheated. 725 00:32:49,917 --> 00:32:51,250 This is deception. 726 00:32:51,333 --> 00:32:53,417 You're trying to present yourself as someone who is 727 00:32:53,500 --> 00:32:57,583 credible and trustworthy, but you're lying in your answers. 728 00:32:57,667 --> 00:32:59,292 It happens all the time. 729 00:32:59,333 --> 00:33:01,542 This happens at work with embezzlement where you're 730 00:33:01,625 --> 00:33:04,167 falsifying reports to get additional gain 731 00:33:04,208 --> 00:33:06,000 from your employer. 732 00:33:06,042 --> 00:33:08,458 This happens as well with your clients where you 733 00:33:08,500 --> 00:33:10,417 double bill them. 734 00:33:10,500 --> 00:33:13,000 You bill two clients for the same time. 735 00:33:13,083 --> 00:33:15,958 There's lots of ways that we practice deception, and again, 736 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:17,875 it's a demonic, satanic issue. 737 00:33:17,958 --> 00:33:19,708 It all goes back to Genesis 3. 738 00:33:19,792 --> 00:33:23,167 God creates our first parents, speaks the truth to them, 739 00:33:23,208 --> 00:33:25,833 and then Satan comes and he lies to them, 740 00:33:25,917 --> 00:33:28,292 and they sin against God. 741 00:33:28,333 --> 00:33:30,208 And Paul says on more that one occasion, 742 00:33:30,292 --> 00:33:34,125 regarding Eve in particular, that Satan what? 743 00:33:34,167 --> 00:33:38,542 He deceived her. 744 00:33:38,625 --> 00:33:41,125 Deception is demonic. 745 00:33:41,167 --> 00:33:45,167 Deception is where you're trying to pretend that you're 746 00:33:45,250 --> 00:33:48,000 communicating the truth, but you know in your heart 747 00:33:48,042 --> 00:33:51,250 it's just a lie. 748 00:33:51,333 --> 00:33:57,000 Number three, slander, which is the spoken form, and libel, 749 00:33:57,042 --> 00:33:59,042 which is the written form. 750 00:33:59,125 --> 00:34:03,625 Leviticus 19:16, "You shall not go around as a slanderer." 751 00:34:03,667 --> 00:34:07,708 Slander is malicious and often false information 752 00:34:07,792 --> 00:34:09,542 used to inflict harm. 753 00:34:09,625 --> 00:34:12,042 Some of you are case builders and you're looking for 754 00:34:12,125 --> 00:34:14,875 information to collect so that you might have stones 755 00:34:14,958 --> 00:34:17,125 to throw at someone else. 756 00:34:17,167 --> 00:34:19,333 You're just waiting, you're looking, you're seeking, 757 00:34:19,417 --> 00:34:22,625 you're searching and/or arranging information to impugn 758 00:34:22,667 --> 00:34:25,292 and attack someone's character and integrity because you've 759 00:34:25,333 --> 00:34:28,500 already decided that they're your enemy. 760 00:34:28,542 --> 00:34:30,667 And in our day, 761 00:34:30,750 --> 00:34:35,167 we have an opportunity to slander people 762 00:34:35,208 --> 00:34:38,708 more immediately and effectively than ever in the history 763 00:34:38,792 --> 00:34:41,333 of the world through technology. 764 00:34:41,417 --> 00:34:44,167 Communication today is instant, constant, global, permanent. 765 00:34:44,208 --> 00:34:47,458 Instant, you can get upset and send it out. 766 00:34:47,500 --> 00:34:49,667 Constant, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 767 00:34:49,750 --> 00:34:52,333 and then everybody else can hear it, and comment on it, 768 00:34:52,417 --> 00:34:53,833 and add to it. 769 00:34:53,875 --> 00:34:57,000 Global, the whole world can be involved. 770 00:34:57,083 --> 00:35:00,792 Permanent, once it's out there, it's out there forever. 771 00:35:00,833 --> 00:35:06,167 This is particularly concerning in an age of social media. 772 00:35:09,125 --> 00:35:12,292 Think of--I'll just use myself as an example-- 773 00:35:12,333 --> 00:35:15,958 all the information that I put out. 774 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:19,875 Think about yourself, all the information you put out. 775 00:35:19,958 --> 00:35:23,000 Texts, e-mails, calls, conversations, 776 00:35:23,042 --> 00:35:26,375 social media posts, blogs, whatever the case may be. 777 00:35:26,458 --> 00:35:28,958 Now listen to these words from the Lord Jesus. 778 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:31,333 Matthew 12:36, "On the day of judgment, 779 00:35:31,375 --> 00:35:37,667 people will give account for every careless word they speak." 780 00:35:37,708 --> 00:35:39,667 "Oh no." 781 00:35:39,708 --> 00:35:41,958 How many of you didn't know that Jesus has 782 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:44,125 Internet access right now? 783 00:35:44,167 --> 00:35:45,625 You're like, "Had I known that, 784 00:35:45,667 --> 00:35:48,167 I totally would have posted it differently." 785 00:35:48,250 --> 00:35:49,875 Imagine you die, you stand before Jesus, 786 00:35:49,958 --> 00:35:52,542 and he pulls up all your social media accounts. 787 00:35:52,625 --> 00:35:54,792 "Okay, we're going to go through Linkedin, next Twitter, 788 00:35:54,833 --> 00:35:58,292 "next Facebook, next Pinterest, whatever the case may be, 789 00:35:58,333 --> 00:35:59,667 "next Instagram. 790 00:35:59,750 --> 00:36:01,750 "Okay, we're going to look at your blogs. 791 00:36:01,833 --> 00:36:03,750 "By the way, I recorded all your conversations. 792 00:36:03,833 --> 00:36:06,250 I'm way worse than the NSA. I got it all." 793 00:36:06,333 --> 00:36:08,208 "Huh? What?" 794 00:36:08,292 --> 00:36:09,917 "And you're accountable for that." 795 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:11,917 "Well, Jesus, I don't think anybody else heard." 796 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:15,833 Jesus says, "I heard. 797 00:36:15,917 --> 00:36:19,000 "It was slander, it was libel. 798 00:36:19,083 --> 00:36:21,333 "What you said about that person was untrue, 799 00:36:21,375 --> 00:36:23,917 "where even if you told the truth, 800 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:29,000 "you told it with untrue motives to harm them. 801 00:36:29,042 --> 00:36:31,292 "You didn't love your neighbor. 802 00:36:31,333 --> 00:36:33,667 You didn't love the truth." 803 00:36:33,708 --> 00:36:37,000 I'll give you an example from a friend of mine. 804 00:36:37,042 --> 00:36:38,375 He's a deceased friend. 805 00:36:38,458 --> 00:36:40,000 His name is Charles Haddon Spurgeon. 806 00:36:40,083 --> 00:36:42,000 I look forward to meeting him in heaven. 807 00:36:42,083 --> 00:36:45,000 But he is one of the greatest Bible teachers in the history 808 00:36:45,083 --> 00:36:47,000 of the world, somebody I've studied very diligently. 809 00:36:47,083 --> 00:36:50,500 And he started as an 18-year-old boy preacher in London, England. 810 00:36:50,583 --> 00:36:55,250 A dead, dying, formerly large church hired this young, 811 00:36:55,333 --> 00:36:58,500 Holy Spirit anointed boy preacher to teach the Bible 812 00:36:58,542 --> 00:37:01,458 at their church and their church exploded. 813 00:37:01,500 --> 00:37:05,417 But for some years, early in his ministry, he was still single. 814 00:37:05,500 --> 00:37:09,250 And the local paper really went after him there in London, 815 00:37:09,333 --> 00:37:12,333 and one of the things that they reported was that he was 816 00:37:12,417 --> 00:37:16,208 a ladies' man, and a player, and took advantage of young women. 817 00:37:16,292 --> 00:37:19,292 So, they actually printed a story that young women 818 00:37:19,333 --> 00:37:22,875 would show up early to hear the megachurch pastor preach. 819 00:37:22,958 --> 00:37:24,875 He had a church of 5,000 or 6,000, 820 00:37:24,958 --> 00:37:27,125 which was the biggest known church in the history 821 00:37:27,167 --> 00:37:28,667 of the world to that day. 822 00:37:28,750 --> 00:37:31,667 And the report was given that young women would show up early, 823 00:37:31,750 --> 00:37:34,833 and they'd all get dressed up, and they'd sit in the front row, 824 00:37:34,917 --> 00:37:36,833 and just kind of fawn over the pastor, 825 00:37:36,917 --> 00:37:39,583 and that they would go up to the platform like Cinderella, 826 00:37:39,667 --> 00:37:41,333 and they would take one shoe off 827 00:37:41,375 --> 00:37:43,333 and they would leave it on the platform, 828 00:37:43,375 --> 00:37:45,333 hoping that he would come to their house, 829 00:37:45,375 --> 00:37:48,333 and it would fit their foot, and they'd live happily ever after. 830 00:37:48,375 --> 00:37:53,333 Well, that was scandalous in that day and it never happened. 831 00:37:53,375 --> 00:37:55,333 It never happened. 832 00:37:55,375 --> 00:37:58,458 Like, zero gals left a shoe, 833 00:37:58,500 --> 00:38:02,167 and he had no inappropriate relations with any woman. 834 00:38:02,208 --> 00:38:04,208 And it was a lie that devastated him. 835 00:38:04,292 --> 00:38:06,042 He struggled with depression his whole life. 836 00:38:06,125 --> 00:38:08,167 He said it was like fighting the mist. 837 00:38:08,250 --> 00:38:12,708 And what killed him was the story was reported falsely, 838 00:38:12,792 --> 00:38:16,417 and it was reported in the London newspaper, 839 00:38:16,500 --> 00:38:19,833 and then it was picked up by the international newswire. 840 00:38:19,917 --> 00:38:22,333 This means, like, Reuters or the Associated Press, 841 00:38:22,375 --> 00:38:25,458 that all of a sudden, the story just got printed in hundreds, 842 00:38:25,500 --> 00:38:27,708 thousands of newspapers all around the world, 843 00:38:27,792 --> 00:38:30,042 including the United States of America. 844 00:38:30,125 --> 00:38:34,292 He followed up with the press in London and they eventually 845 00:38:34,333 --> 00:38:38,500 printed a retraction, "Sorry, we lied about 846 00:38:38,542 --> 00:38:41,000 Charles Haddon Spurgeon," 847 00:38:41,083 --> 00:38:45,333 but the newswire never picked up the retraction. 848 00:38:45,417 --> 00:38:49,208 And all anybody ever heard across the world was that he 849 00:38:49,292 --> 00:38:52,375 took advantage of young women and manipulated them. 850 00:38:52,458 --> 00:38:55,500 And he said it really haunted him for his entire life 851 00:38:55,542 --> 00:38:58,958 because as he would travel and do media interviews, 852 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:01,333 particularly those from America, 853 00:39:01,417 --> 00:39:03,333 they would always go back to that point. 854 00:39:03,417 --> 00:39:05,833 "So, Spurgeon, why did you take advantage of young women?" 855 00:39:05,917 --> 00:39:08,083 "Oh, not again." 856 00:39:08,167 --> 00:39:11,208 Imagine if he'd lived today. 857 00:39:11,292 --> 00:39:14,500 Imagine if he'd lived today. 858 00:39:14,583 --> 00:39:18,833 And you and I, it's incumbent upon us as worshipers of 859 00:39:18,875 --> 00:39:22,000 the one, true God, to worship him in spirit and what? 860 00:39:22,042 --> 00:39:23,375 Truth. 861 00:39:23,458 --> 00:39:26,208 That's what Jesus says. 862 00:39:26,292 --> 00:39:30,458 This includes as well, number four, false teaching. 863 00:39:30,500 --> 00:39:32,042 The Old Testament, the New Testament, 864 00:39:32,125 --> 00:39:34,708 and the Lord Jesus talk about this a lot. 865 00:39:34,792 --> 00:39:38,083 It's a violation of the ninth commandment. 866 00:39:38,167 --> 00:39:43,333 The God who never lies is always lied about, 867 00:39:43,417 --> 00:39:46,000 and we call it false teaching. 868 00:39:46,042 --> 00:39:50,042 And the worst lie of all is a lie about the God who never 869 00:39:50,125 --> 00:39:54,583 lies, and we call that false teaching. 870 00:39:54,667 --> 00:39:57,958 2 Peter 2:1, "But false prophets also arose among the people," 871 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:00,000 in the Old Testament he's referring to, 872 00:40:00,042 --> 00:40:02,375 "just as there will be false teachers among you." 873 00:40:02,458 --> 00:40:04,917 They're here, they're coming, the latest book, 874 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:10,167 bandwagon craze, trendy, weird, spiritual teacher, 875 00:40:10,250 --> 00:40:14,417 "who will secretly bring in destructive heresies." 876 00:40:14,500 --> 00:40:17,083 And heresies are not violations of secondary issues 877 00:40:17,167 --> 00:40:19,167 but primary issues. 878 00:40:19,208 --> 00:40:21,917 All right, Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians, 879 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:24,833 Assemblies of God, they love Jesus, believe the Bible, 880 00:40:24,875 --> 00:40:26,792 they're not heretics. 881 00:40:26,833 --> 00:40:29,458 There may be things that they disagree over and we disagree 882 00:40:29,500 --> 00:40:32,583 over, but those are secondary, open-handed issues. 883 00:40:32,667 --> 00:40:35,500 Those are not primary, closed-handed issues. 884 00:40:35,542 --> 00:40:37,625 The word heresy is a big word. 885 00:40:37,667 --> 00:40:41,583 It's for things like the Bible is God's word, 886 00:40:41,667 --> 00:40:44,500 Jesus is God's Son, Jesus is fully man, fully God, 887 00:40:44,583 --> 00:40:47,208 lived without sin, died on the cross for our sins, 888 00:40:47,292 --> 00:40:49,750 rose from the dead as our Savior, 889 00:40:49,833 --> 00:40:52,500 is judging the living and the dead and sentencing them 890 00:40:52,583 --> 00:40:55,833 to eternal heaven or hell--that kind of stuff. 891 00:40:55,917 --> 00:40:59,333 And what invariably happens is that false teachers, 892 00:40:59,375 --> 00:41:05,958 they are often motivated by their peculiar attempt 893 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:08,667 to help God. 894 00:41:08,750 --> 00:41:11,000 They think they're helping. 895 00:41:11,083 --> 00:41:13,792 So, what they will do is they will oftentimes look at 896 00:41:13,833 --> 00:41:16,458 the Bible and say, "It's an old book. 897 00:41:16,500 --> 00:41:20,333 "God says some things that we now know aren't true 898 00:41:20,375 --> 00:41:23,125 because we've evolved." 899 00:41:23,167 --> 00:41:27,000 C.S. Lewis calls it chronological snobbery. 900 00:41:27,042 --> 00:41:30,417 "Well, back then, those stupid, naive people believed that, 901 00:41:30,500 --> 00:41:33,792 but now we're smart and we know better." 902 00:41:33,833 --> 00:41:36,167 So, then they try to help God out. 903 00:41:36,250 --> 00:41:38,375 "Well, there's some things in the Bible that these 904 00:41:38,458 --> 00:41:41,083 "smart people don't like, so we need to be God's editor, 905 00:41:41,167 --> 00:41:42,500 "not God's messenger. 906 00:41:42,542 --> 00:41:46,250 "We need to upgrade and update the teaching so that it is 907 00:41:46,333 --> 00:41:49,333 "more acceptable to the hearer. 908 00:41:49,417 --> 00:41:50,958 "We're here to help you, Lord. 909 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:53,750 We're trying to help." 910 00:41:53,833 --> 00:41:57,167 But the result is false teaching, 911 00:41:57,250 --> 00:42:00,083 it's destructive heresy. 912 00:42:00,167 --> 00:42:04,667 During the modern age when Hume and other enlightenment 913 00:42:04,750 --> 00:42:08,167 philosophers were prominent, people stopped believing 914 00:42:08,250 --> 00:42:10,542 in the supernatural and the miraculous. 915 00:42:10,625 --> 00:42:12,708 So, certain Bible commentators come along and say, 916 00:42:12,792 --> 00:42:14,625 "Well, you know, we don't necessarily believe 917 00:42:14,667 --> 00:42:16,208 "the miracles in the Bible. 918 00:42:16,292 --> 00:42:18,208 "When it says Jesus was walking on water, 919 00:42:18,292 --> 00:42:19,625 really what it was--" 920 00:42:19,667 --> 00:42:21,125 and I'm actually telling you what 921 00:42:21,167 --> 00:42:24,833 a very famous Bible commentator wrote in that day. 922 00:42:24,917 --> 00:42:26,708 "Jesus didn't really walk on the water. 923 00:42:26,792 --> 00:42:29,042 "The water was shallow, the tide was shallow. 924 00:42:29,125 --> 00:42:32,333 "Jesus was walking in shallow water, but from the distance, 925 00:42:32,375 --> 00:42:36,458 "those who saw him misperceived him to be walking on water. 926 00:42:36,500 --> 00:42:39,375 "There's a logical explanation to this. 927 00:42:39,458 --> 00:42:42,333 "They reported what they saw, but that's not what really 928 00:42:42,417 --> 00:42:44,667 happened because we know that nobody walks on water." 929 00:42:44,708 --> 00:42:48,917 Yeah, one guy does, that's why he's special. 930 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:53,667 That's why he's special, truly special. 931 00:42:53,750 --> 00:42:55,833 You say, "How many guys walked on water?" 932 00:42:55,875 --> 00:42:57,833 One. "Well, that doesn't happen." 933 00:42:57,875 --> 00:43:00,208 No, the truth is that doesn't happen a lot. 934 00:43:00,292 --> 00:43:04,500 That's why we wrote it down, because he's special. 935 00:43:04,542 --> 00:43:06,500 Right, the water was deep enough, 936 00:43:06,542 --> 00:43:08,667 it says that Peter tried to walk on water, 937 00:43:08,750 --> 00:43:12,458 and he didn't do so well and was going to drown. 938 00:43:12,500 --> 00:43:15,333 There was at least that much water. 939 00:43:15,417 --> 00:43:18,375 But what that is, that's an attempt to help God out. 940 00:43:18,458 --> 00:43:20,875 Well, there's certain people like, "You know, hey man, 941 00:43:20,958 --> 00:43:22,292 "these single people. 942 00:43:22,333 --> 00:43:25,292 "You know, you can't be single and, you know, not have sex. 943 00:43:25,333 --> 00:43:26,833 "That's not reasonable, so, you know, 944 00:43:26,917 --> 00:43:29,500 "we will talk about maybe God has a different way 945 00:43:29,583 --> 00:43:31,125 "of viewing this, and homosexuality, 946 00:43:31,167 --> 00:43:32,833 "and gay marriage, and other religions, 947 00:43:32,875 --> 00:43:35,333 "and nobody's going to hell, and everybody's a good person. 948 00:43:35,375 --> 00:43:37,333 "When we talk about sins, it's really negative, 949 00:43:37,375 --> 00:43:38,708 "and hurts self-esteem. 950 00:43:38,792 --> 00:43:40,708 "And you know, people are really struggling, 951 00:43:40,792 --> 00:43:45,000 so maybe we give God a makeover." 952 00:43:45,042 --> 00:43:47,917 God doesn't need your help. 953 00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:50,833 God knows that when we communicate the truth, 954 00:43:50,917 --> 00:43:54,667 his truth, the initial response will be negative. 955 00:43:54,750 --> 00:43:58,167 It's because people are wrong and they need to change. 956 00:43:58,250 --> 00:44:00,917 How many of you, the first time you heard the Bible, 957 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:02,750 you're like, "I don't agree with that"? 958 00:44:02,833 --> 00:44:08,375 It's because the Bible is an anvil, all right, 959 00:44:08,458 --> 00:44:13,542 and your life gets laid on it and it gets hammered into shape. 960 00:44:13,625 --> 00:44:18,208 And God knows there's going to be some conflict there, 961 00:44:18,292 --> 00:44:20,458 and he loves you enough to have it. 962 00:44:20,500 --> 00:44:22,375 And the person who comes along and says, 963 00:44:22,458 --> 00:44:25,167 "Let's replace the anvil with a cotton ball," 964 00:44:25,208 --> 00:44:27,292 they're not helping. 965 00:44:27,333 --> 00:44:29,667 They're not helping. 966 00:44:29,708 --> 00:44:32,500 They're getting rid of the conflict that helps you 967 00:44:32,542 --> 00:44:36,292 become the person that God intends for you to be. 968 00:44:36,333 --> 00:44:39,833 And this includes as well--if you're not all convicted yet, 969 00:44:39,917 --> 00:44:43,667 right, if you're like, "So far, you haven't got me. 970 00:44:43,708 --> 00:44:46,250 You haven't got me, Mark, you haven't got me." 971 00:44:46,333 --> 00:44:48,250 We both know that's not true, you're lying, 972 00:44:48,333 --> 00:44:51,417 but here's the fifth point, gossip. 973 00:44:51,500 --> 00:44:54,500 Oh, it got quiet. 974 00:44:54,583 --> 00:44:56,333 "Oh man, really? 975 00:44:56,417 --> 00:44:59,042 Gossip, we're going to talk about this?" 976 00:44:59,125 --> 00:45:02,125 1 Timothy 5:13, "Besides that, they learn not only be idlers." 977 00:45:02,167 --> 00:45:04,625 You're not busy enough, you don't have enough to do, 978 00:45:04,667 --> 00:45:06,458 too much free time. 979 00:45:06,500 --> 00:45:08,083 "But also gossips and busybodies." 980 00:45:08,167 --> 00:45:09,500 See how that goes together? 981 00:45:09,542 --> 00:45:12,458 You don't keep yourself busy, you become a busybody. 982 00:45:12,500 --> 00:45:15,167 And a busybody is the one fishing for gossip. 983 00:45:15,250 --> 00:45:17,167 How many of you, you're like, "It's amazing, 984 00:45:17,250 --> 00:45:20,125 everybody tells me all their stuff." 985 00:45:20,167 --> 00:45:23,250 That's not necessarily a good thing. 986 00:45:23,333 --> 00:45:26,542 If they come to you and tell you their stuff and everybody else's 987 00:45:26,625 --> 00:45:30,792 stuff, it's because you're the gossip repository. 988 00:45:30,833 --> 00:45:36,583 All right, you're the officially designated busybody. 989 00:45:36,667 --> 00:45:40,167 "Well, but Pastor Mark, I pray for people." 990 00:45:40,208 --> 00:45:43,833 Okay, so you're the religious, busybody, 991 00:45:43,917 --> 00:45:46,750 gossip repository. 992 00:45:46,833 --> 00:45:51,250 Okay, this is going to be super offensive. 993 00:45:54,167 --> 00:46:00,167 How many of you gossip as a prayer request? 994 00:46:01,500 --> 00:46:03,000 "Pray for Sally. 995 00:46:03,083 --> 00:46:05,125 Her husband, he committed adultery." 996 00:46:05,167 --> 00:46:10,125 Yeah, I'll pray for her and your gossip problem, you busybody. 997 00:46:10,167 --> 00:46:12,833 If she wanted me to know, she would have told me. 998 00:46:12,917 --> 00:46:15,042 She didn't tell you so you could tell everybody. 999 00:46:15,125 --> 00:46:16,458 You're not helping anything. 1000 00:46:16,500 --> 00:46:17,958 This is not prayer, it's gossip. 1001 00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:21,333 It's a violation of the ninth commandment. 1002 00:46:21,375 --> 00:46:25,292 "Well, I said prayer." 1003 00:46:25,333 --> 00:46:30,333 You can't throw a Christian word in with a non-Christian deed 1004 00:46:30,375 --> 00:46:33,875 and expect to fool anyone. 1005 00:46:33,958 --> 00:46:35,625 If somebody has a prayer request, 1006 00:46:35,667 --> 00:46:38,125 they can tell the people that they want to pray 1007 00:46:38,167 --> 00:46:39,833 what they want to be prayed for. 1008 00:46:39,917 --> 00:46:41,792 It's not your job to tell everyone 1009 00:46:41,833 --> 00:46:45,333 everyone else's business. 1010 00:46:45,375 --> 00:46:47,708 "Saying what they should not." 1011 00:46:47,792 --> 00:46:50,208 It doesn't even say that what they're saying is untrue. 1012 00:46:50,292 --> 00:46:52,208 Sometimes the gossip says things that are untrue, 1013 00:46:52,292 --> 00:46:55,042 but sometimes they say things that are true with a heart 1014 00:46:55,125 --> 00:46:57,167 that is untrue. 1015 00:46:57,208 --> 00:46:59,833 It's like, you're not supposed to say that to those people. 1016 00:46:59,875 --> 00:47:05,000 It's not their business. 1017 00:47:05,042 --> 00:47:08,625 It's not loving your neighbor. 1018 00:47:08,667 --> 00:47:11,833 Gossip is sharing damaging information with the intent of 1019 00:47:11,875 --> 00:47:14,708 murdering someone's reputation. 1020 00:47:14,792 --> 00:47:17,667 Sometimes you murder a person physically; 1021 00:47:17,750 --> 00:47:24,667 sometimes you murder them emotionally. 1022 00:47:24,750 --> 00:47:26,125 And in our day, 1023 00:47:26,167 --> 00:47:29,250 let's just admit that we have a celebrity gossip culture 1024 00:47:29,333 --> 00:47:33,958 that just encourages us and that social media allows us 1025 00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:37,292 to do what only stalkers used to do. 1026 00:47:37,333 --> 00:47:39,250 "What do they eat? What do they wear? 1027 00:47:39,333 --> 00:47:41,250 "Where do they live? What do they do? 1028 00:47:41,333 --> 00:47:43,083 "What-a, what-a, what-a, what-a, what-a? 1029 00:47:43,167 --> 00:47:45,000 "I'm just checking, just checking, just checking, 1030 00:47:45,083 --> 00:47:47,500 like a stalker for the Lord." 1031 00:47:47,583 --> 00:47:48,917 No. 1032 00:47:49,000 --> 00:47:52,125 How many of you, you follow people and you need to just stop 1033 00:47:52,167 --> 00:47:54,333 following them, because even if the information you're getting 1034 00:47:54,375 --> 00:48:00,333 is not bad, your motive is not good? 1035 00:48:00,375 --> 00:48:01,958 Well, I was thinking about it. 1036 00:48:02,000 --> 00:48:04,208 There are a lot of reasons why we lie, 1037 00:48:04,292 --> 00:48:06,917 and I'm throwing myself in the guilty bucket, all right? 1038 00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:10,292 I'll throw myself in the guilty bucket with you. 1039 00:48:10,333 --> 00:48:14,000 Here are some reasons that I and we lie. 1040 00:48:14,042 --> 00:48:16,458 Number one, we lie to avoid negative consequences 1041 00:48:16,500 --> 00:48:18,208 for ourselves. 1042 00:48:18,292 --> 00:48:19,792 "If the truth comes out, boy, 1043 00:48:19,833 --> 00:48:21,750 "that's not going to be good for me. 1044 00:48:21,833 --> 00:48:23,708 I need to lie to change the future." 1045 00:48:23,792 --> 00:48:25,958 It's an attempt to be God. 1046 00:48:26,000 --> 00:48:29,250 Number two, we lie to create or protect an illusion 1047 00:48:29,333 --> 00:48:30,708 of who we are. 1048 00:48:30,792 --> 00:48:34,167 "If they know the truth, they'll think I'm a terrible person." 1049 00:48:34,250 --> 00:48:36,250 You know why? 1050 00:48:36,333 --> 00:48:38,208 Do you know why? 1051 00:48:38,292 --> 00:48:41,000 Because you're a terrible person. 1052 00:48:41,042 --> 00:48:44,042 That's reality. 1053 00:48:44,125 --> 00:48:46,125 Okay, apparently that was convicting. 1054 00:48:46,167 --> 00:48:49,375 Number three, we lie to get what we want. 1055 00:48:49,458 --> 00:48:50,792 "I want that. 1056 00:48:50,833 --> 00:48:54,292 "I can't get that so I'm going to lie so I can get what 1057 00:48:54,333 --> 00:48:55,833 I'm not supposed to have." 1058 00:48:55,875 --> 00:48:59,625 Number four, we lie to remain in control of a situation. 1059 00:48:59,667 --> 00:49:02,083 "I know I'm supposed to think that God's sovereign, 1060 00:49:02,167 --> 00:49:03,583 "but I want to be sovereign. 1061 00:49:03,667 --> 00:49:05,583 "I don't like how this might play out, 1062 00:49:05,667 --> 00:49:07,333 "so I'm going to change the information 1063 00:49:07,375 --> 00:49:09,333 so that I can alter the outcome." 1064 00:49:09,375 --> 00:49:13,208 Number five, we lie to play God and punish someone else. 1065 00:49:13,292 --> 00:49:15,167 "You need to pay. 1066 00:49:15,208 --> 00:49:18,125 You hurt me, I'm going to make you hurt." 1067 00:49:18,167 --> 00:49:21,000 And number six, we lie about someone to be accepted by 1068 00:49:21,083 --> 00:49:23,417 someone who despises them. 1069 00:49:23,500 --> 00:49:25,333 Peer pressure, fear of man. 1070 00:49:25,417 --> 00:49:28,167 This person doesn't like this person, 1071 00:49:28,250 --> 00:49:31,333 so this person is slandering this person. 1072 00:49:31,417 --> 00:49:33,375 This person is punishing this person, 1073 00:49:33,458 --> 00:49:36,958 and you know both of these people, and you need to pick. 1074 00:49:37,000 --> 00:49:42,042 "Okay, I'm going to be on your side so that you don't say 1075 00:49:42,125 --> 00:49:44,833 "bad things about me or punish me. 1076 00:49:44,875 --> 00:49:48,125 "And then I'll give you gossip about them, 1077 00:49:48,167 --> 00:49:50,833 "so I'll provide the rocks and you throw them. 1078 00:49:50,917 --> 00:49:52,250 "How's that? 1079 00:49:52,333 --> 00:49:54,750 "And then we'll be friends, and I won't be alone, 1080 00:49:54,833 --> 00:49:59,000 and I won't get harmed." 1081 00:49:59,042 --> 00:50:03,083 If you have a friend like that, you don't have a friend. 1082 00:50:06,500 --> 00:50:09,625 As I was thinking about it, I'm writing this down, 1083 00:50:09,667 --> 00:50:11,167 putting it in my wallet. 1084 00:50:11,208 --> 00:50:13,000 I would encourage you to consider it. 1085 00:50:13,083 --> 00:50:15,958 I think there's a series of questions, if we ask ourselves, 1086 00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:19,542 it'll change how we communicate and help us to avoid violating 1087 00:50:19,625 --> 00:50:21,208 the ninth commandment. 1088 00:50:21,292 --> 00:50:22,833 Here it is. 1089 00:50:22,875 --> 00:50:27,000 Does this exact information, exactly like this, 1090 00:50:27,042 --> 00:50:29,000 need to be communicated? 1091 00:50:29,042 --> 00:50:31,958 Does it even need to be articulated? 1092 00:50:32,000 --> 00:50:35,375 By me, or do they need to say it and they're being a coward, 1093 00:50:35,458 --> 00:50:37,833 and they're telling me because they don't want to have 1094 00:50:37,875 --> 00:50:40,833 the conflict, but I need to tell them that they're in sin 1095 00:50:40,875 --> 00:50:43,333 and they need to be the one to communicate it. 1096 00:50:43,375 --> 00:50:46,125 So, does this exact information need to be communicated by me 1097 00:50:46,167 --> 00:50:48,542 to these people or this person? 1098 00:50:48,625 --> 00:50:52,167 Is this exactly the group that needs to know or have I opened 1099 00:50:52,208 --> 00:50:55,917 it up to others that have no right to know? 1100 00:50:56,000 --> 00:50:59,375 At this time, or is this just a bad time? 1101 00:50:59,458 --> 00:51:01,917 With this motive, what am I seeking to accomplish? 1102 00:51:02,000 --> 00:51:04,667 God's glory and their good? 1103 00:51:04,750 --> 00:51:08,125 Through this medium, phone call, text, e-mail, social media, 1104 00:51:08,167 --> 00:51:11,208 blog, discussion, prayer request? 1105 00:51:11,292 --> 00:51:14,833 What's the medium? 1106 00:51:14,917 --> 00:51:18,333 Does this exact information need to be communicated by me, 1107 00:51:18,417 --> 00:51:20,917 to these people, at this time, with this motive, 1108 00:51:21,000 --> 00:51:22,417 through this medium? 1109 00:51:22,500 --> 00:51:25,000 If we ask those question, we will greatly reduce 1110 00:51:25,042 --> 00:51:30,667 the number of times that we violate the ninth commandment. 1111 00:51:30,708 --> 00:51:34,667 Let me briefly give a bit of counsel for the parents. 1112 00:51:34,708 --> 00:51:37,167 How many of you are parents who've got little kids? 1113 00:51:37,208 --> 00:51:39,875 How many of you found that you don't need to teach 1114 00:51:39,958 --> 00:51:43,875 your kids to lie? 1115 00:51:43,958 --> 00:51:46,333 You're like, "Where'd my kid learn to lie?" 1116 00:51:46,375 --> 00:51:48,833 The Garden. 1117 00:51:48,917 --> 00:51:50,625 It's been around for awhile. 1118 00:51:50,667 --> 00:51:52,167 They pick it up. 1119 00:51:52,250 --> 00:51:53,583 It's part of their nature. 1120 00:51:53,667 --> 00:51:55,333 It's why they need a new nature. 1121 00:51:55,417 --> 00:51:57,583 It's why we all need a new nature. 1122 00:51:57,667 --> 00:51:59,625 But when you're teaching a child about lying, 1123 00:51:59,667 --> 00:52:01,083 they can get very confused, 1124 00:52:01,167 --> 00:52:03,500 so let me give you three categories, parents. 1125 00:52:03,542 --> 00:52:07,042 Lying, secrets, and surprises. 1126 00:52:07,125 --> 00:52:11,000 With your children, you cannot allow them to lie. 1127 00:52:11,042 --> 00:52:12,667 "It's okay, tell me the truth. 1128 00:52:12,708 --> 00:52:15,667 "If you don't tell the truth, you're going to get in trouble 1129 00:52:15,708 --> 00:52:17,708 "for what you did and lying about it. 1130 00:52:17,792 --> 00:52:19,125 "So, you've got two options. 1131 00:52:19,167 --> 00:52:21,292 "Tell the truth and deal with the consequences, 1132 00:52:21,333 --> 00:52:23,792 "or don't tell the truth, and then tell the truth, 1133 00:52:23,833 --> 00:52:25,500 "and then you'll deal with the consequences 1134 00:52:25,583 --> 00:52:26,917 "and the other consequences. 1135 00:52:27,000 --> 00:52:28,917 "You've got two options: bad, really bad. 1136 00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:30,333 "Okay, those are your options. 1137 00:52:30,375 --> 00:52:33,000 Now, I love you, yay Jesus," so be nice about it, 1138 00:52:33,042 --> 00:52:34,375 but that's it, okay? 1139 00:52:34,458 --> 00:52:36,333 Don't lie. 1140 00:52:36,417 --> 00:52:40,833 Secrets--don't allow your children to keep any secrets. 1141 00:52:40,917 --> 00:52:42,667 Anybody comes to your child and says, 1142 00:52:42,708 --> 00:52:45,917 "I want to tell you a secret," your child should say, "No. 1143 00:52:46,000 --> 00:52:47,333 I don't keep secrets." 1144 00:52:47,375 --> 00:52:48,708 Because you know what? 1145 00:52:48,792 --> 00:52:50,833 That's what pedophiles tell little kids. 1146 00:52:50,875 --> 00:52:53,833 "Don't tell your mommy. Don't tell your daddy." 1147 00:52:53,875 --> 00:52:55,333 No, no, no, no, no. 1148 00:52:55,417 --> 00:52:57,333 What they're saying is, "Lie to your mommy. 1149 00:52:57,417 --> 00:52:59,667 Lie to your daddy." 1150 00:52:59,750 --> 00:53:04,833 A secret is something bad that we don't want others to know. 1151 00:53:04,917 --> 00:53:07,833 A surprise is something good that we want them to know 1152 00:53:07,917 --> 00:53:10,167 at the right time. 1153 00:53:10,250 --> 00:53:12,333 So, let's say you've got little kids, 1154 00:53:12,417 --> 00:53:13,833 and Mommy's had some miscarriages, 1155 00:53:13,917 --> 00:53:15,333 and they find out their pregnant, 1156 00:53:15,417 --> 00:53:17,083 and Mommy tells the kids, "Mommy's pregnant, 1157 00:53:17,167 --> 00:53:20,083 "we're going to have a baby, but don't tell everybody just yet. 1158 00:53:20,167 --> 00:53:22,083 We need to get through the first trimester." 1159 00:53:22,167 --> 00:53:24,417 It's a surprise. 1160 00:53:24,500 --> 00:53:26,417 Dad takes the kids out for Christmas. 1161 00:53:26,500 --> 00:53:28,417 "Hey, we're buying something really nice for Mom. 1162 00:53:28,500 --> 00:53:29,833 "She's going to love it! 1163 00:53:29,875 --> 00:53:32,833 but don't tell her, kids, because it's a surprise." 1164 00:53:32,875 --> 00:53:36,208 It's a good thing we're going to tell her at the right time as 1165 00:53:36,292 --> 00:53:39,625 opposed to a bad thing that we don't want her to know at all. 1166 00:53:39,667 --> 00:53:41,000 That's a secret. 1167 00:53:41,083 --> 00:53:44,917 So, when you're parenting, it's lying, secrets, surprises. 1168 00:53:45,000 --> 00:53:50,208 Now, here we go, ready? 1169 00:53:50,292 --> 00:53:55,708 The sermon's not done, because this week, 1170 00:53:55,792 --> 00:53:58,250 we're going to encourage you to go into Community Group 1171 00:53:58,333 --> 00:54:00,375 and have a talk about lying. 1172 00:54:00,458 --> 00:54:03,500 And immediately, some of you who are attorneys like me, 1173 00:54:03,542 --> 00:54:07,667 or philosophers, or guilty, trying to change the subject, 1174 00:54:07,708 --> 00:54:10,833 you're going to talk about hypothetical, theoretical, 1175 00:54:10,917 --> 00:54:13,792 philosophical scenarios. 1176 00:54:13,833 --> 00:54:16,458 You're like, "Well, Pastor Mark, you know, lying, don't lying. 1177 00:54:16,500 --> 00:54:18,500 "What if the Nazis come to your door? 1178 00:54:18,583 --> 00:54:20,583 "What if the Nazis knock on the door 1179 00:54:20,667 --> 00:54:23,333 "and the Nazis ask if you're housing any Jewish people, 1180 00:54:23,417 --> 00:54:25,667 "and they're going to kill them. 1181 00:54:25,708 --> 00:54:27,208 What do you do?" 1182 00:54:27,292 --> 00:54:30,875 You're like, first of all, there's not a ton of Nazis. 1183 00:54:30,958 --> 00:54:33,583 Second of all, you don't have a lot of Jewish people 1184 00:54:33,667 --> 00:54:35,375 at your house. 1185 00:54:35,458 --> 00:54:39,083 And thirdly, you're just trying to change the subject. 1186 00:54:39,167 --> 00:54:41,125 Some of you learned this as a kid. 1187 00:54:41,167 --> 00:54:44,542 Your dad walks in, you know, "Who set the dog on fire?" 1188 00:54:44,625 --> 00:54:47,083 "Geez, Dad, have you seen the economy? 1189 00:54:47,167 --> 00:54:49,917 It's really in the tank." 1190 00:54:50,000 --> 00:54:52,167 "Yeah, who set the dog on fire?" 1191 00:54:52,250 --> 00:54:56,125 Right, we tend to change the subject when we're guilty. 1192 00:54:56,167 --> 00:54:59,458 And sometimes we'll do that in sort of a philosophical way, 1193 00:54:59,500 --> 00:55:01,250 okay. 1194 00:55:01,333 --> 00:55:03,667 So, here's the question that comes up. 1195 00:55:03,708 --> 00:55:07,083 What about good lies? 1196 00:55:07,167 --> 00:55:09,083 Be honest, don't lie. 1197 00:55:09,167 --> 00:55:11,875 I mean, how many of you, really, you were like, 1198 00:55:11,958 --> 00:55:13,958 "I was wondering this"? 1199 00:55:14,000 --> 00:55:16,042 What you're looking for is an exception clause. 1200 00:55:16,125 --> 00:55:19,667 You're the attorney reading the fine print. 1201 00:55:19,750 --> 00:55:25,542 Are there exceptions in the Bible where you can lie 1202 00:55:25,625 --> 00:55:29,167 and it's a quote unquote "good" lie, yes or no? 1203 00:55:29,250 --> 00:55:32,542 Well, let me unpack this. 1204 00:55:32,625 --> 00:55:36,500 So, Augustine said, "Sometimes you can just remain silent." 1205 00:55:36,583 --> 00:55:39,417 I never thought of that until I read that from Augustine. 1206 00:55:39,500 --> 00:55:44,500 Silent, I would have saved myself so much grief 1207 00:55:44,542 --> 00:55:46,542 had I done that. 1208 00:55:46,625 --> 00:55:48,583 That's a great idea. I wrote that down. 1209 00:55:48,667 --> 00:55:50,375 I share it with you, okay? 1210 00:55:50,458 --> 00:55:53,042 Sometimes you can just go, "I'm just going to remain silent. 1211 00:55:53,125 --> 00:55:55,750 I'm not going to get into it." 1212 00:55:55,833 --> 00:55:59,875 Martin Luther distinguished between harmful, humorous, 1213 00:55:59,958 --> 00:56:01,333 and helpful lies. 1214 00:56:01,417 --> 00:56:05,542 So, the harmful ones are--well, in the Bible, 1215 00:56:05,625 --> 00:56:09,208 there's a very powerful man who's got a wife that 1216 00:56:09,292 --> 00:56:12,167 wants to commit adultery with a guy named Joseph. 1217 00:56:12,208 --> 00:56:13,750 It's in Genesis 39. 1218 00:56:13,833 --> 00:56:17,500 He says no, she gets offended, falsely accuses him of rape, 1219 00:56:17,542 --> 00:56:18,917 he goes to prison. 1220 00:56:19,000 --> 00:56:20,500 That's a harmful lie. 1221 00:56:20,542 --> 00:56:22,000 That's a harmful lie. 1222 00:56:22,083 --> 00:56:24,500 So, harmful lies violate the ninth commandment. 1223 00:56:24,583 --> 00:56:26,083 What about the other two categories? 1224 00:56:26,167 --> 00:56:27,833 Humor. 1225 00:56:27,875 --> 00:56:31,000 How many of you hope we don't get rid of humor to maintain 1226 00:56:31,083 --> 00:56:33,500 the ninth commandment? 1227 00:56:33,542 --> 00:56:36,333 How many of you already have because you're religious? 1228 00:56:36,375 --> 00:56:39,167 You're like, "I never tell anything that's a lie, 1229 00:56:39,208 --> 00:56:43,458 "or untrue, or funny. 1230 00:56:43,500 --> 00:56:46,167 I'm lonely, but biblical." 1231 00:56:46,250 --> 00:56:49,792 Okay, okay? 1232 00:56:49,833 --> 00:56:53,833 Martin Luther left open the possibility of a good lie 1233 00:56:53,875 --> 00:56:57,500 in regards to humor, telling a joke, okay? 1234 00:56:57,542 --> 00:56:59,667 So, I Googled "Funniest joke ever." 1235 00:56:59,708 --> 00:57:01,417 I won't tell you everything I read. 1236 00:57:01,500 --> 00:57:02,833 Some of it's totally inappropriate. 1237 00:57:02,875 --> 00:57:06,000 I won't encourage you to do it, but I'll give you one example 1238 00:57:06,083 --> 00:57:08,208 that came up near the top of the list. 1239 00:57:08,292 --> 00:57:11,333 Two guys are walking in the woods and a snake comes up 1240 00:57:11,375 --> 00:57:14,375 and bites one guy on the buttock and infects him with deadly, 1241 00:57:14,458 --> 00:57:16,458 venomous poison. 1242 00:57:16,500 --> 00:57:19,458 And immediately, he falls to the ground, 1243 00:57:19,500 --> 00:57:21,667 he's in an almost paralyzed state. 1244 00:57:21,750 --> 00:57:25,500 Death is coming upon him and he is certain to die, 1245 00:57:25,542 --> 00:57:28,000 and they are 10 miles away from the nearest town. 1246 00:57:28,042 --> 00:57:30,667 And so he looks up at his buddy and he says, 1247 00:57:30,708 --> 00:57:33,417 "I need you to run into town, find the only doctor, 1248 00:57:33,500 --> 00:57:35,167 and bring him to save my life." 1249 00:57:35,208 --> 00:57:37,042 He says, "Okay, you got it." 1250 00:57:37,125 --> 00:57:39,625 Ten miles, runs, runs, runs, runs into town, 1251 00:57:39,667 --> 00:57:41,458 finds the only doctor. 1252 00:57:41,500 --> 00:57:43,708 The doctor's in the middle of delivering a baby, 1253 00:57:43,792 --> 00:57:45,125 a complicated birth. 1254 00:57:45,167 --> 00:57:47,542 The doctor says, "I cannot leave. 1255 00:57:47,625 --> 00:57:51,083 "I need you to follow my instructions. 1256 00:57:51,167 --> 00:57:53,250 "You need to run back to your friend, 1257 00:57:53,333 --> 00:57:57,042 "you need to get a razor and cut him where he was bit 1258 00:57:57,125 --> 00:58:00,167 "and infected, you need to put your mouth on his buttocks 1259 00:58:00,208 --> 00:58:02,167 "and suck all of the poison out 1260 00:58:02,250 --> 00:58:04,917 and spit it on the ground to save his life." 1261 00:58:05,000 --> 00:58:07,625 The man runs 10 miles back to his friend. 1262 00:58:07,667 --> 00:58:10,417 His friend looks up, "What did he say?" 1263 00:58:10,500 --> 00:58:16,917 "He said you're going to die." 1264 00:58:17,875 --> 00:58:23,042 Okay, did we just violate the ninth commandment? 1265 00:58:23,125 --> 00:58:25,750 All right jury, did we just violate the ninth commandment? 1266 00:58:25,833 --> 00:58:29,000 No, because it's humor. 1267 00:58:29,083 --> 00:58:31,500 God has a sense of humor. 1268 00:58:31,583 --> 00:58:35,667 Is there such a thing as a helpful lie? 1269 00:58:35,708 --> 00:58:37,667 Well, there are some occasions in the Bible. 1270 00:58:37,750 --> 00:58:39,958 In Exodus 20, we see the Ten Commandments. 1271 00:58:40,000 --> 00:58:42,208 Back in Exodus 1, we see a powerful, 1272 00:58:42,292 --> 00:58:44,125 political leader tell the midwives, 1273 00:58:44,167 --> 00:58:46,125 the gals that are helping with the birth, 1274 00:58:46,167 --> 00:58:48,833 "If a Hebrew boy is born, kill him. 1275 00:58:48,917 --> 00:58:51,667 Will you do that ladies?" 1276 00:58:51,750 --> 00:58:54,208 "Oh yeah, we'll do that, sure. 1277 00:58:54,292 --> 00:58:56,875 No, we're not doing that." 1278 00:58:56,958 --> 00:59:03,625 And then they help the boys be born and they don't kill them. 1279 00:59:03,667 --> 00:59:06,167 See, the Bible not only says, "Don't lie," it says, 1280 00:59:06,250 --> 00:59:10,833 "Don't murder," and they're left on this--the horns, rather, 1281 00:59:10,875 --> 00:59:12,500 of a terrible, ethical dilemma. 1282 00:59:12,542 --> 00:59:14,000 "Well, if we tell the truth, 1283 00:59:14,042 --> 00:59:16,000 "a bunch of boys are going to die. 1284 00:59:16,042 --> 00:59:18,708 "If we lie, we're going to spare a bunch of lives. 1285 00:59:18,792 --> 00:59:20,125 "We're going to obey 1286 00:59:20,167 --> 00:59:21,500 the 'Don't murder' commandment." 1287 00:59:21,583 --> 00:59:24,167 And the Bible says that God blessed them, and honored them, 1288 00:59:24,250 --> 00:59:25,667 and they did the right thing. 1289 00:59:25,750 --> 00:59:28,667 Same with Rahab, she was a woman who was hiding some of 1290 00:59:28,750 --> 00:59:30,833 God's people because they were coming to murder them. 1291 00:59:30,917 --> 00:59:33,542 And when they came to her like, "Have you seen them?" 1292 00:59:33,625 --> 00:59:36,042 She's like, "I didn't. I don't know where they're at." 1293 00:59:36,125 --> 00:59:37,542 And she's listed in Hebrews 11 1294 00:59:37,625 --> 00:59:40,542 as a woman of great faith, and she did the right thing. 1295 00:59:40,625 --> 00:59:42,750 So, there are occasions where there's a good lie, 1296 00:59:42,833 --> 00:59:44,167 but let me say this. 1297 00:59:44,208 --> 00:59:45,542 You'll probably never have one. 1298 00:59:45,625 --> 00:59:48,167 You'll never have one. 1299 00:59:48,250 --> 00:59:50,625 But, there are occasions 1300 00:59:50,667 --> 00:59:57,167 where it's hard to be polite. 1301 00:59:57,250 --> 01:00:00,458 So hypothetically, you're married. 1302 01:00:00,500 --> 01:00:02,500 Any of you married, married people? 1303 01:00:02,583 --> 01:00:04,833 So, your spouse comes to you, it's date night, 1304 01:00:04,875 --> 01:00:06,208 you're going out. 1305 01:00:06,292 --> 01:00:07,625 Your spouse got new jeans. 1306 01:00:07,667 --> 01:00:09,625 Your spouse looks at you and asks, 1307 01:00:09,667 --> 01:00:11,917 "Do these jeans make my butt look big?" 1308 01:00:12,000 --> 01:00:17,333 You're like, "Oh, ninth commandment. 1309 01:00:17,375 --> 01:00:18,875 "Ninth commandment, let me think. 1310 01:00:18,958 --> 01:00:20,708 "What was Pastor Mark saying? 1311 01:00:20,792 --> 01:00:25,208 "Augustine said don't say anything, so, 1312 01:00:25,292 --> 01:00:28,667 I'm not going to do that." 1313 01:00:28,708 --> 01:00:30,500 But your spouse keeps pushing, 1314 01:00:30,542 --> 01:00:32,625 "Do these jeans make my butt look big?" 1315 01:00:32,667 --> 01:00:35,000 You say, "Okay, okay, how do I--" 1316 01:00:35,083 --> 01:00:40,125 You can just say something truthful, like, "I love jeans," 1317 01:00:43,833 --> 01:00:48,208 and hopefully that gets you through the checkpoint. 1318 01:00:48,292 --> 01:00:51,208 You can move on with your relationship. 1319 01:00:51,292 --> 01:00:54,083 Let's say that doesn't work. 1320 01:00:54,167 --> 01:00:56,000 "No, do these jeans--I need to know. 1321 01:00:56,083 --> 01:00:59,083 Do these jeans make my butt look big?" 1322 01:00:59,167 --> 01:01:01,333 You could just tell her. 1323 01:01:01,375 --> 01:01:06,667 You could say, "No, the jeans do not make your butt look big. 1324 01:01:08,625 --> 01:01:13,125 Your big butt makes your big butt look big." 1325 01:01:13,167 --> 01:01:20,042 Ninth commandment, okay? 1326 01:01:20,125 --> 01:01:23,625 Right? 1327 01:01:23,667 --> 01:01:27,333 Sometimes you're just polite, all right? 1328 01:01:27,417 --> 01:01:29,917 You're just polite. 1329 01:01:30,000 --> 01:01:31,875 Your spouse comes up, gives you a kiss. 1330 01:01:31,958 --> 01:01:36,417 "Is my breath bad?" 1331 01:01:36,500 --> 01:01:43,042 "No, and I hated my eyebrows anyways." 1332 01:01:46,792 --> 01:01:49,833 There are certain times where you're just polite, amen? 1333 01:01:49,875 --> 01:01:52,167 Just polite. 1334 01:01:52,208 --> 01:01:54,542 Now, let me say this, friends. 1335 01:01:54,625 --> 01:01:58,833 Christianity rises or falls on the ninth commandment 1336 01:01:58,875 --> 01:02:05,083 because the Bible is written by eyewitnesses, 1337 01:02:05,167 --> 01:02:09,667 or eyewitnesses were interviewed by the authors, 1338 01:02:09,708 --> 01:02:13,167 all of which was overseen by God the Holy Spirit, 1339 01:02:13,208 --> 01:02:17,208 the God who cannot lie. 1340 01:02:17,292 --> 01:02:20,208 And so really what's at stake with the ninth commandment is, 1341 01:02:20,292 --> 01:02:24,000 as we read the Bible, if they say that there were people, 1342 01:02:24,042 --> 01:02:26,042 and times, and places, and events, 1343 01:02:26,125 --> 01:02:28,000 are we going to believe that or not? 1344 01:02:28,042 --> 01:02:30,333 And if you're here and you're not a Christian, 1345 01:02:30,375 --> 01:02:35,167 this is actually 66 books written by roughly 40 authors 1346 01:02:35,250 --> 01:02:39,000 over a couple of thousand years, and they were there to see 1347 01:02:39,083 --> 01:02:43,125 the things that happened and to hear the things that were said. 1348 01:02:43,167 --> 01:02:46,167 And they write them down so that we might have a faithful 1349 01:02:46,208 --> 01:02:49,458 accounting of what has happened, because Christianity is not like 1350 01:02:49,500 --> 01:02:51,667 philosophy or spirituality. 1351 01:02:51,750 --> 01:02:55,208 It's history: people, times, places, circumstances, 1352 01:02:55,292 --> 01:02:58,542 and events that actually happened. 1353 01:02:58,625 --> 01:03:02,625 And if the testimony is not credible, 1354 01:03:02,667 --> 01:03:06,292 then all of Christianity crumbles. 1355 01:03:06,333 --> 01:03:08,667 But it is credible, and it is truthful, 1356 01:03:08,750 --> 01:03:12,458 and we have faithful witnesses who were there. 1357 01:03:12,500 --> 01:03:15,125 This is why roughly 40 times in John's Gospel, 1358 01:03:15,167 --> 01:03:17,333 the Lord Jesus says, "I tell you the truth. 1359 01:03:17,375 --> 01:03:19,833 "I tell you the truth. I tell you the truth. 1360 01:03:19,875 --> 01:03:21,208 I tell you the truth." 1361 01:03:21,292 --> 01:03:23,208 I found three occasions where the Apostle Paul, 1362 01:03:23,292 --> 01:03:25,208 who wrote much of the New Testament, says, 1363 01:03:25,292 --> 01:03:26,625 "I'm not lying." 1364 01:03:26,667 --> 01:03:29,500 1 John, he says, "What we're talking about is the stuff 1365 01:03:29,542 --> 01:03:33,667 "of Jesus that we heard with our ears, we saw with our eyes, 1366 01:03:33,750 --> 01:03:37,333 "and this is the guy that we hugged with our own hands. 1367 01:03:37,417 --> 01:03:38,833 "We were there. 1368 01:03:38,917 --> 01:03:40,583 "Jesus' mother was there. 1369 01:03:40,667 --> 01:03:42,833 "Jesus' brothers were there. 1370 01:03:42,875 --> 01:03:45,500 "Jesus' enemies were there and then became his friends 1371 01:03:45,583 --> 01:03:47,833 as they saw him rise from death." 1372 01:03:47,875 --> 01:03:50,208 And the resurrection of Jesus is a historical fact, 1373 01:03:50,292 --> 01:03:54,958 that he died on the cross in our place for our sins, 1374 01:03:55,000 --> 01:03:58,500 for our sins. 1375 01:03:58,583 --> 01:04:02,250 And he tells us, "I am the way, the truth, and the life," right, 1376 01:04:02,333 --> 01:04:05,833 that it's all about Jesus, and he is the truth, 1377 01:04:05,875 --> 01:04:08,583 and he says the truth, and he does the truth, 1378 01:04:08,667 --> 01:04:10,750 and he is the truth. 1379 01:04:10,833 --> 01:04:15,333 And he dies in our place for our sins, all of us liars, 1380 01:04:15,417 --> 01:04:18,667 and he rises to conquer sin and death, 1381 01:04:18,708 --> 01:04:21,667 and he pays our debt to God. 1382 01:04:21,750 --> 01:04:24,667 And then 500 people at a time see him risen from death. 1383 01:04:24,708 --> 01:04:26,292 They're the eyewitnesses. 1384 01:04:26,333 --> 01:04:28,167 He appears to people over 40 days. 1385 01:04:28,250 --> 01:04:29,667 They're the eyewitnesses. 1386 01:04:29,708 --> 01:04:31,667 Guys like Thomas come to see the scars. 1387 01:04:31,750 --> 01:04:33,125 They're the eyewitnesses. 1388 01:04:33,167 --> 01:04:36,458 Jesus' mother, Jesus' brothers see him conquering death, 1389 01:04:36,500 --> 01:04:38,667 proving that he's God and Savior, 1390 01:04:38,750 --> 01:04:42,958 and they're the eyewitnesses, and all the testimony is true. 1391 01:04:43,000 --> 01:04:47,750 And so Mars Hill, I need you to be one who testifies, 1392 01:04:47,833 --> 01:04:49,625 and we testify by telling the truth. 1393 01:04:49,667 --> 01:04:51,208 Jesus' brother, James, tells us, 1394 01:04:51,292 --> 01:04:54,958 "Let your yes be yes and your no be no." 1395 01:04:55,000 --> 01:04:58,792 God's people should be plain speech in their communication 1396 01:04:58,833 --> 01:05:00,625 as God is. 1397 01:05:00,667 --> 01:05:03,625 And what we're going to give you an opportunity to do now, 1398 01:05:03,667 --> 01:05:05,583 it's a great, glorious, good opportunity to testify. 1399 01:05:05,667 --> 01:05:09,208 As we partake of Communion, we're giving testimony. 1400 01:05:09,292 --> 01:05:11,000 Jesus conquers sin and death. 1401 01:05:11,083 --> 01:05:13,000 Jesus is alive and well. 1402 01:05:13,083 --> 01:05:15,750 His body was broken, his blood was shed for me, 1403 01:05:15,833 --> 01:05:20,750 and I stand up to testify that not only is he true, 1404 01:05:20,833 --> 01:05:23,833 he's been nothing but true to me. 1405 01:05:23,875 --> 01:05:26,833 And then we sing, and we celebrate, 1406 01:05:26,917 --> 01:05:28,625 and we're giving testimony. 1407 01:05:28,667 --> 01:05:32,292 We're the witnesses that he's alive, and he forgives, 1408 01:05:32,333 --> 01:05:35,292 and he pursues, and he changes, amen? 1409 01:05:35,333 --> 01:05:38,458 And all of that is part of the truth of who Jesus is 1410 01:05:38,500 --> 01:05:40,083 and what Jesus has done. 1411 01:05:40,167 --> 01:05:42,083 And as we collect our tithes and offerings, 1412 01:05:42,167 --> 01:05:45,458 we are giving for the cause and the sake of the truth. 1413 01:05:45,500 --> 01:05:48,375 We're saying that the world is filled with deceptions and lies, 1414 01:05:48,458 --> 01:05:50,833 and that God is a truth-teller, and that the Scriptures 1415 01:05:50,875 --> 01:05:53,708 are true, and we want the truth of Jesus to go out. 1416 01:05:53,792 --> 01:05:56,208 So, as you give, you're giving to that effort, 1417 01:05:56,292 --> 01:05:58,917 you're giving to that mission, and it's part of your witness, 1418 01:05:59,000 --> 01:06:02,667 it's part of your testimony through your generosity. 1419 01:06:02,708 --> 01:06:06,000 And as we're doing that, I want you to see what's going on 1420 01:06:06,042 --> 01:06:07,625 in Mars Hill Phoenix. 1421 01:06:07,667 --> 01:06:11,000 Through your generosity, God continues to expand our ministry 1422 01:06:11,083 --> 01:06:13,750 and there's a great city where the next Mars Hill Church, 1423 01:06:13,833 --> 01:06:16,375 Lord willing, opens up on January 12th. 1424 01:06:16,458 --> 01:06:18,875 And I want you guys to have a little joy, 1425 01:06:18,958 --> 01:06:21,958 and so I want to give a good news report to you. 1426 01:06:30,625 --> 01:06:33,292 Howdy, Pastor Mark here in Phoenix with Pastor Ryan. 1427 01:06:33,333 --> 01:06:36,000 We are getting ready to begin the Core Group meetings for 1428 01:06:36,083 --> 01:06:38,750 Mars Hill Phoenix, Scottsdale, and greater area. 1429 01:06:38,833 --> 01:06:40,375 We're right by Chase Field. 1430 01:06:40,458 --> 01:06:42,583 Maybe give everybody a little tour of the land, 1431 01:06:42,667 --> 01:06:45,458 how many people are here, and what cities are around us. 1432 01:06:45,500 --> 01:06:47,458 Sure, there's about 4 million people 1433 01:06:47,500 --> 01:06:49,750 in the Phoenix area, 1434 01:06:49,833 --> 01:06:52,583 over 500 square miles, it's just huge. 1435 01:06:52,667 --> 01:06:54,333 We're standing in downtown Phoenix. 1436 01:06:54,375 --> 01:06:57,042 We've got a bunch of big cities around us as well. 1437 01:06:57,125 --> 01:07:00,875 Down here in the southeast, we have Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, 1438 01:07:00,958 --> 01:07:02,792 Chandler, and Scottsdale. 1439 01:07:02,833 --> 01:07:05,417 So, almost everybody, though, is about a 20-25 minute drive 1440 01:07:05,500 --> 01:07:07,417 into this location. 1441 01:07:07,500 --> 01:07:09,083 How many potential Community Group leaders 1442 01:07:09,167 --> 01:07:10,833 do you have in training right now? 1443 01:07:10,875 --> 01:07:13,208 Right now, we have about 43 people being trained. 1444 01:07:13,292 --> 01:07:15,458 ♪ Rejoice ♪ 1445 01:07:15,500 --> 01:07:18,167 ♪ Sing the mercies of your King ♪ 1446 01:07:18,250 --> 01:07:23,333 ♪ And with trembling, rejoice ♪ 1447 01:07:23,417 --> 01:07:25,167 And so then, push through the holidays. 1448 01:07:25,208 --> 01:07:27,875 When are you looking at official, hard launch, 1449 01:07:27,958 --> 01:07:29,333 starting the church? 1450 01:07:29,375 --> 01:07:30,708 January 12th. 1451 01:07:30,792 --> 01:07:32,208 You guys can be in prayer. 1452 01:07:32,292 --> 01:07:33,708 Be giving, be praying, be caring. 1453 01:07:33,792 --> 01:07:36,708 The hope and prayer is to be starting here, as he said, 1454 01:07:36,792 --> 01:07:39,458 early in January, and we've got a lot to figure out. 1455 01:07:39,500 --> 01:07:41,667 What can people be praying for attendance opening day? 1456 01:07:41,708 --> 01:07:43,208 You'd like to start where? 1457 01:07:43,292 --> 01:07:45,625 To have 150 members, 25 Community Groups, 1458 01:07:45,667 --> 01:07:47,333 and maybe that Sunday draw 800 people 1459 01:07:47,375 --> 01:07:48,750 to come check us out. 1460 01:07:48,833 --> 01:07:50,250 Cool, we'll see how it goes. 1461 01:07:50,333 --> 01:07:52,667 Thanks bro, we love you, appreciate it. 1462 01:08:07,792 --> 01:08:10,708 Each year, over 10 million Mars Hill church sermons 1463 01:08:10,792 --> 01:08:13,833 are downloaded worldwide for free. 1464 01:08:13,875 --> 01:08:16,417 This ministry is generously supported 1465 01:08:16,500 --> 01:08:19,042 by Mars Hill church members and listeners like you. 1466 01:08:19,125 --> 01:08:22,625 If you'd like to support our efforts to preach Jesus to the world, 1467 01:08:22,667 --> 01:08:25,625 Please consider making a tax-deductible donation 1468 01:08:25,667 --> 01:08:28,500 by visiting marshill.com/give.