A Little Less Talk

Purpose: As a result of this sermon, listeners should be able to catch themselves or others spreading gossip and either stop themselves or tell others they don’t want to listen to it.

Contemporary Problem: People don’t recognize gossip and partake in it frequently.

Contemporary Solution: Learn what gossip is, keep check on your tongue, and don’t entertain anyone else’s gossip.

Big Idea: By spreading gossip you are doing more harm to yourself, the person you’re telling it to, and the church than any other sin I’m aware of.

Introduction

The “seven deadly sins” were originally based on a list of eight principal vices. The list was developed in the fourth century AD by Evagrius Ponticus, then around 600 A.D. Pope Gregory restructured the list and boiled them down to 7 categories of sin. The 7 deadly sins are pride, anger, indifference, envy, greed, lust, and gluttony. The 7 deadly sins include nearly every kind of human sin imaginable. But I believe there is a deadly sin that isn’t in the list of the 7 deadly sins.

I am the 8th deadly sin. Who am I? I have no respect for justice. I maim without killing. I break hearts and ruin lives. I am cruel and malicious and gather strength with age. The more I am quoted, the more I am believed. I flourish at every level of society. My victims are helpless. They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name and no face. To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become. I’m nobody’s friend. Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same. I topple governments and ruin marriages. I destroy careers and cause heartache and sleepless nights. I wreck churches and separate Christians. I spawn suspicion and generate grief, make innocent people cry on their pillows. I am gossip.