Things God hates

Proverbs 6: 16 KJV

16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Pray:

I am going to get back into our text but first lets turn to a few other places.

Isaiah 61:8

8 For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

God wants us to be just. God hates it when people take advantage of other people. It is not a crime to be wealthy. But it is a crime against God to earn your wealth by taking advantage of poor people. When you plunder the poor for profit and make your wealth by taking advantage of others God hates it.

You will often hear false teachers rant against the use of Judgement. But what the bible teaches is judge not lest you be judged for the same standard by which you judge people will be applied to you. God isn’t saying not to judge righteously. God is saying remove the mote from your own eye before accusing someone of doing the same thing you are doing. The truth is God loves judgement or justice as it is used in this verse.

Zechariah 8:17

17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.

A false teacher is incapable of telling you that God is capable of hate. I have heard a number of false teachers over the years. And one way you can identify a false teacher is they will always deny that God hates or God judges. The reason that they do this is because they are delusional. The bible tells us that if you say you have no sin you deceive yourself.

And one of those deceptions is this: The false teacher hates the judgement of God. The false teacher disagrees with the judgement of God. The false teacher believes that HE himself is the only person qualified to understand God. It is self-deception. It is narccicsm. When someone denies the judgement and justice of God. What they are really saying is this: I KNOW BETTER THAN GOD. AND I WILL HAVE NO OTHER GOD BEFORE MYSELF. It is self-worship and nothing more. Which is pride. And God hates pride.

Let me give you an illustration of how a false teacher speaks. Now this is a bit extreme, I admit. But it illustrates my point.

God didn’t hate or judge Sodom and Gomorrah. No. No. No. God was simply expressing his love to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah by sharing with them his joy for fire and brimstone. Certainly, if God loves fire and brimstone, it would be mean and selfish of him to not share them with the wonderful people of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Listen to me please. A false teacher will go out of his way to deny that God uses judgement and justice because a false teacher believes that only he is god.

And it says there in Zechariah that God hates a false oath. Lying about people. Spreading lies about people. A false allegiance. Someone who constantly makes promises but never does what they promise to do.

Revelation 2:6

6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

AND

Revelation 2:15

15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.

Scholars debate over who the Nicolaitans’ were. And what their doctrine was. But we don’t know everything about this group it is lost. But most scholars agree that they took the name of a good man Nicholaus and used his good name to cover up the wicked things they did.

And don’t we have that today? People taking the name of Jesus and using it to teach false doctrine. They were polygamists and adulterers, and their doctrines were a corruption of the New Testament.

And as we get into this study you are going to see just how badly modern religion has been corrupted.

Galatians 1:6-7

6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

So, Paul rebuked the church at Galatia for falling victim to the false doctrine of those who were corrupting the gospel. Remember this. The New Testament Gospel is to all who believe. There is no special group of people who are saved just because of their race. Anyone who says I don’t have to repent of my sins and place my faith in Christ to be saved because I am white. Is corrupting the gospel. Anyone who says I don’t have to repent of my sins and place my faith in Christ because I am black is corrupting the gospel. Anyone who says I don’t have to repent of my sins and place my faith in Christ because I am Jewish, is corrupting the gospel.

Jesus is for everyone. There is no chosen race. That is a perversion of the gospel folks.

God is not a respecter of persons. You cannot be saved by your race. You must be born again.

Now.

The first thing on the list in our text is pride. Pride is one of the worst sins. It spawns all other sins. Almost every single sinful act of sin stems from pride.

Second lying. It is difficult in this day and age to find someone who is willing to tell the truth. People who we think we should trust are often lying to us.

Three. Hands that shed innocent blood. This would include abortion. This would include killing off an entire group of people for gas and oil money. God doesn’t support wars of aggression against people who have done us no harm. God is fine with us defending ourselves. We are told to sell our clothes and buy a sword. But not so we can go off to foreign countries and murder innocent people. God is not ok with unjust war. Wars of aggression today are done for profit by warmongers.

We live in a world where the love of money is so ingrained that our government is willing to help foreign countries kill people over gas and oil money. When you worship a group of people as Gods chosen to the point that you are willing to support the murder of innocent children then you need to ask yourself who your God really is. A group who calls themselves chosen or Jesus Christ. And I’m going to repeat this. The amount of oil and gas reserves in the Gaza strip is worth over 550 billion dollars. You do NOT serve my God if you want to shed the innocent blood of children for gas and oil money.

Then we are told a false witness that speaks lies is something that God hates. Folks, the devil is the accuser. A good Christian doesn’t make accusations against other people. When a good Christian disagrees with someone. The bible tells them to talk with them. And if they are wrong and refuse to admit to being wrong, we are then to bring a witness. And if the one who is wrong still refuses to admit to being wrong, we are instructed to bring it before the church. This is the Christian way. Always has been.

When someone makes horrible accusations against a brother and refuses to speak with them then they risk becoming the tool of Satan. And I am not condemning anyone here. The bible says we are to be sober, and to be vigilante because our adversary the devil goeth about seeking whom he may devour.

And the bible also tells us that he who stands should take heed lest we also fall. So, be kind, don’t be judgmental. Love that person and uplift them in the spirit of kindness. Because the truth is that if we are not vigilant the devil can use any one of us to falsely accuse other Christians.

But do not return hate for hate. Do not return anger with anger.

Then it says he that soweth discord among the brethren. That is to say someone who uses bible misinterpretations and lies to spread conflict in the church. That is people who stir up division and animosity between church members.

When God says that sowing discord among the brethren is an abomination, he is saying that this sin is one of the worst a man can do.

Proverbs 18:8

8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

When someone gossips about you to someone else it is like they are shooting you or stabbing you. It creates a wound that goes into the bowels of your soul.

Proverbs 20:19

19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

Have nothing to do with a tale bearer and one of the things this tale bearer does is flatters with his lips. A tale bearer will try to flatter you. They use their friendship to gossip to inflict hate against their target.

Proverbs 26:20

20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

In other words. Once the tale bearer is gone. There will be no strife in the church. Strife is the result of someone constantly causing problems with gossip.

One of the things we learned about in college psychology class. Is that there are people in this world referred to as borderlines. What these people do is split people. That is, they will get in the middle of two friends. And they will say to one friend, you know what that guy said about you? Then they will go to the other friend. And say you know what your friend said about you?

It is called splitting. That is the nature of the tale bearer. The tale bearer enjoys causing problems. And the tale bearer will go to anyone who will hear them to spread gossip and lies about whoever it is that is standing in their way. And in the house of God that is usually someone who ignores their attempts at splitting. It is a way that these people manipulate and control other people.

Now I will not lie. I have lived a blessed life. But I am no stranger to splitting behavior. I grew up watching it in my childhood home. And I repeated the pattern by getting married to someone who used splitting as a form of manipulation. So, when someone comes to me and starts talking bad about another church member. I ignore it. Because I know exactly what is going on.

It is one thing to confide in a friend when you are hurting over someone’s behavior. It is something completely different to stir discourse.

A tale bearer will often go to the easiest targets. They know exactly who is most likely to listen to them. The ones who they are the closest too are the ones they will target. But if they know that you are not the kind of person to listen to gossip or that you love the person that they are gossiping about they won’t target that person.

They might think for example. Well, brother Danny really seems to love pastor Tim. So, I am not going to let brother Danny know that I am up to causing problems. Because brother Danny will put a stop to it. That’s just an example. But the truth is we should NOT receive anyone who gossips about other church members.

Why? Because God hates that behavior.

These people are very calculating.

Romans 16: 17-18

17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Paul here is speaking of the doctrine of peace. The house of God is to be a house of peace and a house of prayer. Paul says avoid that type. They are not serving Jesus, they serve themselves. Paul says they like to use good words and tell nice speeches to deceive the hearts of the simple.

God wants peace in his house. God says not only mark them but to avoid them.

2 John 7-10

7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

If someone says that the line of Jesus is impure that person is teaching the doctrine of the Pharisees. They are teaching a false doctrine.

And the word of God says. Don’t let him in your house. Now the pastor doesn’t say don’t let him in your house. The word of God does. Mark him, don’t receive him, ignore him, and don’t even let him into your house.

Why? Because a Christian doesn’t try to tear apart the house of God.

If a Jehovah’s witness comes to your house. They reject the deity of Christ. So, we are not supposed to even let them in our house. Avoid them. Do not take gifts from them, do not make them your best friend. Because they are not serving Christ, but they are serving their own belly. That is to say that they are serving their own selfish desires.

Can you hear the good words of the Pharisee? Oh I thank God that I am not a sinner like the rest of these people. Oh I think God that my god is a God of love and doesn’t care at all about justice and judgement because that kind of God is mean and cruel and I refuse to serve that kind of God.

Folks a real Christian understands that God is sovereign. We may not always understand why God does the things He does. But we trust that God knows better than we do.

If we are grounded in the word of God. Then we will not fall for this type. Paul says that they fool the simple. Meaning if you don’t understand the word of God, they will fool you. Do you understand now why it is so important to understand the bible?

Someone like that might fool the man of God for a bit. But eventually they will tell on themselves.

We must be grounded in the word of God. Listen to:

Galatians 5:19-21

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

se·di·tion

/səˈdiSHən/

📷

noun

plural noun: seditions

conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority

Paul says those who incite people to rebel against an authority figure shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Sedition means to ask people to leave an organization or rebel against an organization in an act against the authority figure.

Now Jesus is the authority figure in the church. But our Lord Jesus Christ gave us under-shepherds or pastors to oversee his house. The pastor is an authority figure in the church. No, he is not a dictator. But he is Gods man. And acts of sedition against Gods man. These are works of the flesh.

Please understand this. Anyone can come and talk to me about anything I say that you disagree with me about. And I will be happy to discuss anything with you. I will not yell and scream at you and call you a heretic or a false prophet. My phone is open for you to call any time. And if you want to have lunch with me most people will testify to you that I am glad to have lunch with you and answer your questions.

All I ask is that you treat me with the same respect that I give to you. That is, it. I know sometimes people are having a bad day. I get that. And some people go home and kick their dogs over a bad day. And please don’t do that. But don’t kick your pastor either. God said come now let us reason together saith the Lord. God wants us to communicate and to be reasonable with one another. And to demonstrate the love of Christ to each other.

Jesus said by their fruit you shall know them. And the fruit of a tale bearer is people being separated from the church. That is their fruit. That is why the devil sent them. To separate them from the church and make it weaken. To discourage the pastor and to weaken his message. To create mal contents to go into the community and to bad mouth the church. It is all accomplished by this act of spiritual murder. Which is what tale bearing is.

How many people leave the church because they were victimized by a tale bearer? Listen. There are no perfect people. And we must stick together regardless of the sins of those who have fallen prey to the wicked one or the sin of ego.

Let me share this with you. When we were doing the downtown giveaway this late summer. I saw brother Larry out in his wheelchair. And I walked up to him, and we started talking. And I said why haven’t we seen you? We have missed you.

And this is what he said to me. “Well, I heard that your former pastor was a racist.” I said which one? We do not have any such pastor in our history that I know of. And you know what. He had no answer. He did not know. Just that he heard it.

I looked at him and said Well the former pastor is my Uncle Ken and I promise you that man is not a racist. So, whatever you heard it is complete nonsense.

Folks that is exactly the kind of thing the accuser does to keep people out of the house of God. That’s why Satan does it!!

The bible tells us that the devil goeth about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. The bible tells us to put on the whole armor of God. We should take the warnings of God seriously.

Every time someone leaves the church the tale bearer wins. Now if you find a church that is growing. You better bet that the tale bearer is going to go after the pastor.

Proverbs 16:28

28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.

The Christians best friend is a pastor who teaches the truth. And that’s a fact.

1 Corinthians 3:3

3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Paul is saying. You aren’t acting like a saved person. You are acting like the world. Don’t take part in gossip and backbiting. If you listen to someone who is spreading division are you not guilty of participating in sin?

Proverbs 25:23

23 The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

When someone comes to you with backbiting and gossip. Let them see that you are angry. Be angry and sin not. Let them know that you will not stand for gossip.

Remember that Jesus said to Simon Peter. Get thee behind me Satan. The devil can use anyone. We must be careful to not let him use us. Jesus heard the voice of Satan coming from Peters mouth. And told him to shut up. If it can happen to Peter, it can happen to any of us.

This is how you handle a tale bearer. Firmly rebuke them publicly. What you are saying is of the devil. Shut up.

Pray:

Alter call: