LIAR LIAR
A STUDY OVER THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: PART XVI (TOPIC: LYING)
OPEN:
The book The Day America Told the Truth says that 91 percent of those surveyed lie routinely about matters they consider trivial, and 36 percent lie about important matters; 86 percent lie regularly to parents, 75 percent to friends, 73 percent to siblings, and 69 percent to spouses.
One study shows that 74 percent of high school students out of 12,000 surveyed,said they had cheated on an exam at least once in the past year. That’s up from 61 percent of students surveyed in 1992.
After doing 3.8 million background checks, Automatic Data Processing Inc. announced that 52 percent of job applicants had lied on their résumés.
1. Another Reason to Keep Your Oath: Judgment Day
BIBLE VERSE: Matthew 12:36-37
12:36 I tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak. 12:37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
Thank God that we live our lives before a gracious God, one who will forgive our sins, isn’t that amazing!
(could put a brief plan of salvation in here, always remembering our audience and who it is we speak to).
By the way, how is the language spoken by your classmates?
2012: There is a movie coming out some time in the near future. The premise of the movie is that the end of the world is here, and the date happens to be 2012, because it is the end of the ancient Central American Mayan Calendar. It is actually referred to as the “Mesoamerican Long Court Calendar Conspiracy.” It is the date when the current Baktun calendar is to be officially over. So some move producers are cashing in on it. Who knows, maybe it will be a good movie. Years ago, Armageddon & Deep Impact were exciting ends to the world also.
Judgment Day: But seriously, and no joking around, there is going to be end, and if the end doesn’t come than we will have an end. And after that end we will face judgment, it is for certain. I can go to 1000 cemetaries and look at tons and tons of graves, few of those people expected death. And whether those who lived 100 years ago, forget that, even 30 years ago, were great at their job or horrible, the only thing history will record them as being is deceased.
Friends, salvation and Gospel of Christ is an amazing message, we need to tell others this message.
2. Why Lie?
This process should be used in invoke a discussion. It is of my belief that youth of today, and maybe even youth of forever, are notorious for their frequent lying. This discussion should be done in a fun-loving way, but firm enough to point out that these lies are sins, and sins are wrong.
A. To Get Out of Trouble: Most common answer I get in 15 years of teaching HS for not handing in homework is that it is done, and it is at home. Funny, I don’t usually get that homework handed in.
B. To Make Money: This car is a great deal! I already paid you back! Whatever! People probably have some stories here, so time to talk is of vital importance. The key here is that this sin is a Two-Fer. If we are lying about money, than we are also stealing. Can I have $5, I will pay you back (without any intent).
C. For Revenge: There are people who will purposefully wreck someone’s reputation to put them down. Hate someone, no problem, just spread a rumor (it is what the Pharisees did to Jesus).
D. To Cover up Another Lie: Pathologically speaking, some people lie ALL THE TIME. They don’t even know the truth themselves—it’s not possible. They live in a fake world and don’t ever change their ways.
(a truthful witness does not lie, but a false witness bears out lies –Proverbs 14:5)
E. To NOT Hurt Someone’s Feelings: We tell “White Lies” in order to make someone feel good—or so we think so. Sure, you’re new haircut looks great with the pink, purple, and bald stripes (by the way, if our true reason for giving a white lie is to NOT hurt someone, then why do we gossip behind their back?).
F. To Show We Don’t Know Something: If someone asks if we have seen the movie, we sometimes play along like we have seen it.
G. Because We Are Self-Deceived: We just tell ourselves the red light we went thru was yellow to we don’t officially become a law breaker.
H. To Protect Someone: How did Jesse James get a way with bank robbing for so long? No one turned him in when police questioned them. Look, if we tell the authorities when they ask, the authorities are ultimately responsible what they do with the information—not us. Could we be saving some of friends from drugs? They may hate us at the time, but we should tell the truth.
I. We Are Born Liars And We Just Don’t Stop: In the book Lying and Deception in Everyday Life by Michael Lewis, 2/3rds of 3 year olds lie, & 98% of 7 year olds, unless they are taught differently by parents.
(I rashly declared, “All men are liars.” –Psalms 116:11)
I could give more and more reasons. Fear, doubt, survival, vanity, fame, ego, imitation, whatever. But the Word says we will be held accountable for it.
3. The Biggest Lie: Lying to God
The Background: Jeroboam was the first King of the divided kingdom of Israel. He was a wicked king who erected two golden figures as worship. One at Dan and the other at Bethel. He also instituted a non-Levitical priesthood. It is at the dedicating of the altar at Bethel that the events in our scripture take place. Tonight I want us to look at the events focusing mainly upon the young prophet who came from Judah to confront Jeroboam.
BIBLE VERSE: I Kings 13:1-5
1 By the word of the Lord a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering. 2 He cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord: "O altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: ’A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’ " 3 That same day the man of God gave a sign: "This is the sign the Lord has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out." 3 That same day the man of God gave a sign: "This is the sign the Lord has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out.”
4 When King Jeroboam heard what the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel, he stretched out his hand from the altar and said, "Seize him!" But the hand he stretched out toward the man shriveled up, so that he could not pull it back. 5 Also, the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given by the man of God by the word of the Lord.
A. Something We Forget: NOT worshipping God is lying. For we are to proclaim that God is the savior of the world, which is true. But NOT proclaiming Christ is the savior of the world—is a lie. Especially to those who claim to believe that there is a God.
“I believe in God, but I am not going to go to church or worship him.” It sounds nice, sounds noble. But there is absolutely no excuse for such behavior. To know and believe that there is a God and to NOT follow him is absolutely crazy—and sinful.
B. Bad Consequences: And for a leader, a leader of Godly people, to not proclaim God’s greatness—but instead proclaim something else as a deity—down right awful.
And the punishment in this particular case of lying in such a way, is a shriveled arm. But on request of the king, God restores the man’s hand. Then, look what happens…
BIBLE VERSE: 1 Kings 13:7-10
7 The king said to the man of God, "Come home with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift."
8 But the man of God answered the king, "Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. 9 For I was commanded by the word of the Lord: ’You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.’ " 10 So he took another road and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel.
A. The Lying King: Notice, once a liar gets caught, he tries to “make it up to the person” OR “give them lavish gifts and such.” It is harder to speak ill will against someone who has given you gifts. And if you do, the king could respond, “Wow, all I did was give him a great meal, some riches, and this is the thanks I get.”
B. The Prophet: He was directed for a PURPOSE, directed to a PLACE, was directed to PROPHECY, and directed him to PROCEED.
C. The King: He had offered REST, REFRESHMENT, and RICHES.
The King’s ATTEMPT was to have the boy seized.
The King’s ARM was stretched out and withered.
The King’s ALTAR was wrecked just as the prophet spoke and the ashes were wasted on the ground.
The King’s APPEAL was to have the prophet pray for him—he was so far removed from God, that he had to ask another person to go to God for him (off the record, this common, someone feels they are so far from God that they do not believe they even have the right to speak with their creator—that’s pretty far).
But the Rest of the Story is as Odd as it Gets…
BIBLE VERSE: 1 Kings 13:11-24 (Read aloud, it’s unbelievable!)
KEY POINTS OF EXPLANATION:
Old Prophet: There really is no such thing as an Old Prophet. You are either a prophet or you are not. This guy had obviously been used by God for such a time in the past, but is no longer being used by God (off the record, lean forward here, people no longer used by God are susceptible to being used by Satan, as in this case here).
The Young Prophet: The young prophet would not have been necessary if the old prophet was still following God. The Lord could have simply told the Old Prophet to approach the king, but NO. So, the Lord had to use someone else who was more willing (the lesson here is, are you willing? Many are not!). Remember, the old prophet lived in the same town with the king, saw the graven images, saw the statues, saw all the evil worship, saw it all! He may not have even needed to see the evil to speak out against the king (by the way, it is okay to speak out against an evil leader, we should have spoke out against Hitler).
Sin of Omission: The Old Prophet committed the sin of omission, the sin of failing to do something that one should do. Remember, that is a tough sin.
Why the Lie? I have no idea. Honestly, I don’t understand why people lie. And I especially do not understand this one.
Why the Lion? This doesn’t seem fair at all. After all, this person traveled from far out of town, all the way from Bethel to stand up to the king and did a good job. On his way home, he was lied to, outright lied to by another supposedly God-fearing man. And he listens, maybe out of respect for the age and years of service. And he winds up dead? It doesn’t seem fair at all, does it?
The Reason: God asks us to obey his commands—ALL HIS COMMANDS! The prophet, a holy man called upon by God, watched as he disobeyed. And he paid a price. Friends, God is serious about his commands being followed, so I suggest we follow them, even if we are deceived by liars.
BIBLE VERSE: 1 John 2:4 The one who says “I have come to know God” 1 and yet does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person.
Sources:
Anselmi, Jeffrey. Integrity. First Christian Church: Arizona, June 2009.
Axelrod, Mark. Sowing Your Wild Oaths. Peace Evangelical & Reformed Church: Wisconsin, January 2007.
Guptill, Dean. 24.9 The Truth About Lying. Cornerstone Wesleyan Church: August 2007.
Hey! Wanna See Some Sin? Geocities.com: Why Do We Lie?
Richards, Jeffrey. A Lying Tongue. Sermon Series: Seven Sins to Avoid. First Baptist Church of Potosi, Missouri: July 2001.
Sullivan, Bill. Lies, Lying, and Liars. Tulsa Christian Fellowship: October 2004.
LIAR LIAR
A STUDY OVER THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: PART XVI (TOPIC: LYING)
1. Another Reason to Keep Your Oath: ______________________________________________
BIBLE VERSE: Matthew 12:36-37
12:36 I tell you that on the day of ______________________________, people will give an account for every worthless ___________________________________ they speak. 12:37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be ____________________________________.
2012
Judgment Day
2. Why Lie?
A. ___________________________________________________________________________________
B. ___________________________________________________________________________________
C. ___________________________________________________________________________________
D. ___________________________________________________________________________________
E. ___________________________________________________________________________________
F. ___________________________________________________________________________________
G. ___________________________________________________________________________________
H. ___________________________________________________________________________________
I. ____________________________________________________________________________________
3. The Biggest Lie: ____________________________________________________
BIBLE VERSE: I Kings 13:1-5
BIBLE VERSE: 1 Kings 13:7-10
The Prophet: He was directed for a _______________, directed to a ___________________, was directed to ____________________, and directed him to _______________________________.
The King: He had offered ___________, _______________________, and ____________________.
The King’s _____________________________ was to have the boy seized.
The King’s _____________________________ was stretched out and withered.
The King’s _____________________________ was wrecked and the ashes were wasted on the ground.
The King’s _____________________________ was to have the prophet pray for him.
BIBLE VERSE: 1 Kings 13:11-24