Stop Gossiping, Think Before You Speak!
Notes
Transcript
Stop Gossiping, Think Before You Speak!
Stop Gossiping, Think Before You Speak!
I had a lot of trouble coming up with this sermon this morning, I battle some old demons, old memories from my past.
People bringing up stuff, that they didn’t have first hand knowledge of, and I guess trying to destroy a ministry.
They where spreading gossip about somethings I did, and embellishing on things that wasn't true.
Trying to get me to act in a way that is unbecoming of a pastor, for reasons, I have know idea.
I haven’t even spoken to them in four or five years, and the things they where gossiping about happen 20-25 years ago, when I was backsliding and hated anything about God, His Son, or the church.
Thankfully God dealt with me, I asked forgiveness from God and all parties involved, and that is where it should have ended.
Wishful thinking, God forgave me, people involved forgave me, but people like to gossip.
I’ve been known to gossip, i’m pretty sure all of you have onetime or another.
Some might ask, what’s wrong with a little gossip now and then?
A lot I guess, depends if your the one being gossiped about.
There was a pastor driving home on a rainy night and his car started to over heat. The only lighted place was a parking lot of a liquor store. A sign on the outside of the store said, “Pay phone inside.”
The pastor having noway else to call for help. went into the liquor store to call his wife and tell her what was going on. While he was waiting for the rain to slack down.
He notices some doll that was for sale on the shelf. Thinking about his daughter and how she loved baby dolls. Decided to purchase one for his little girl. The pastor purchased the doll from the sales clerk, and he put it in a brown paper bag. A innocent thing right?
About the time the pastor exited the store, low and behold a deacon’s wife drove by and seen the pastor exiting the liquor store holding a brown paper bag. Instead of stopping and see what was going on.
The deacon’s wife told her husband about what she had saw. The deacon called all the church members for a church meeting, before church started, changed the locks of the church and fired an innocent pastor, for no other reason then being seen walking out of a liquor stop with a brown paper bag.
All because of gossip, and not finding out the truth.
Church gossiping is wrong, and should be stopped.
There is no one in this building, that is sinless.
There is no one in this world, that is sinless
There is no pastor today preaching is perfect and sinless.
We are all humans made of sinful flesh.
And we will be that way until we die, or Raptured up!
Gossiping is no more then a person who has second, third, or fourth hand knowledge of and event they no nothing about, wasn’t there, embellished the story, stretched the truth to make themselves look perfect and sinless.
There is no one here or out there that is sinless.
If you try and tell me you never sin, I’m going to call you a lier, because the Bible says you are a lier.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Gossiping can hurt peoples testimonies and reputations.
There is no just cause to gossip about a person.
Gossiping breaks one of the Ten Commandments.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
There are other scriptures throughout the Bible:
Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the Lord.
This is simply saying, “I am the Lord, Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people.”
“Not to stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened.”
Ten Scriptures about Gossiping.
A talebearer revealeth secrets:
But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets:
Therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.
Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off:
Him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
The words of a talebearer are as wounds,
And they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
He that hideth hatred with lying lips,
And he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:
Look at the word backbiting: The act of slandering the absent.
Look at the word whispering: Speaking in a low voice telling secretly.
Look at the word swelling: Growing or enlarging in it’s dimension.
Look at the word tumults: Commotion, disturbance or agitation of a multitude.
Again gossiping is hurting a person intently.
Either to make a person feel better about themselves.
Hurt a person on purpose and make them look bad to others.
Give demonstration.
In closing today,
I want everyone of us to use the acronym THINK before you gossip about others.
T - Is it True?
H - Is it Helpful?
I - Is it Inspiring?
N - Is it Necessary?
K - Is it Kind?
We should use this every time we want to gossip.
I know I don’t like to be talked about.
I’m pretty sure you don’t like to be talked about.
And don’t try and tell me you don’t care if anyone talks about you, because it does hurt a person when someone says anything about you.
If anyone starts to gossip in front of you, tell them to STOP and THINK!