Friday, April 04, 2025

 

Trust

Is Trump's tariff attack trustworthy ?
Is Trump trustworthy as an economist ?


The operation is over! The patient lived, and is healing. The prognosis is that the patient will be far stronger, bigger, better, and more resilient than ever before." That is how President Trump described the state of the economy and the nation in the wake of the unprecedented tariffs levied on more than 180 countries around the world late Wednesday afternoon. This is despite the stock market experiencing tremendous drops and losing roughly $2 trillion in value on Thursday. 


But while no one was really quite sure how much of a hit the market would take when the day began, Trump had been warning that there would be a painful adjustment period. He just also claimed—and continues to claim—that it will be worth it in the end. 


While the vast majority of economists agree that the tariffs will cause far more harm than good, most also agree that something needed to change. The president's approach to global trade appears to mirror his approach to other aspects of governance as well, with unpredictability and chaos wielded as weapons to accomplish his goals. 


Now, the question is simple: Will it work? Unfortunately, despite what many have claimed, it's far too soon to know the answer to that particular query.



Is Jesus trustworthy? 

Of all the resources at our disposal, trust is perhaps the most fragile. Real trust—the kind that can help people believe or rely on what you say even when they'd rather you be wrong—takes a long time to build but can be lost in an instant. Oftentimes, it only takes a single crack in that foundation for everything built upon it to begin crumbling.


So in this section Jesus has displayed Messianic Miracles to prove Who He is, and how you and I right here today should trust in His trustworthiness!


As Christians, we are asking the lost to bet their eternity on the idea that Jesus is God, that he came and died for their sins, and that he has been raised back to life again. Moreover, we're also asking them to make a personal relationship with him the bedrock upon which every other part of their lives is built. Every hope and dream is to become secondary to following his will. 


That's a lot to take on faith. But Jesus is displayed to us as absolutely trustworthy for you to trust Him as your Messiah, your Lord, your Saviour.  He is the Messiah, the Son of David! The King and Lord of all!


Now, there's more to faith than just trusting that what someone else said is true. There is solid evidence that Jesus is who the Bible says he is and that the rest of the claims about him are not only believable but more logical than the alternative. While faith is still a necessary step, God has gone to remarkable lengths to make it as simple and reasonable as possible to take that step. He calls us to trust in Him.  


 

Called to Faith in the Messiah


Matthew 9:18-19 NASB95 - While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live." 19 Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples.

Matthew 9:20-34 NASB95 - And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; 21 for she was saying to herself, "If I only touch His garment, I will get well." 22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said, "Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well." At once the woman was made well.
23 When Jesus came into the official's house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder, 24 He said, "Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep." And they began laughing at Him. 25 But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26 This news spread throughout all that land.
27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" 28 When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, "It shall be done to you according to your faith." 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: "See that no one knows about this!" 31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.
32 As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Him. 33 After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." 34 But the Pharisees were saying, "He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons."


Maybe the emphasis is on the Faith issue in these last few miracles.  
The miracles are Messianic Miracles.  
Therefore because Jesus is already proven to be the Messiah by the miracles we ought to trust Him in His Messiahship. He is the "Son of David" 27 and throughout Matthew's gospel. The Davidic covenant is very much in sight here. Therefore the Davidic Messiah demands you (anyone) should put their faith, their trust in Him. 
The focus of these last three miracles is the word "faith".  Jesus responds to jairus' faith.
Jesus affirms the woman's faith. 
Jesus heals the girl in spite of mockery of others in their unbelief. 
Jesus asks the blind men about their faith.  
Carson challenges us: 
Jesus is trustworthy in the despair of death. 
(This brings it into the experience of our hearers).  
Oh the despair we all feel when someone close dies.  

Jesus is trustworthy in the degrading mocking of doubt.  
Though others mock … the funeralers. 
Though others do not believe I will still believe.  

Jesus is trustworthy in the anger of alienation   The unclean woman. For so many years!  Enduring alienation Does Jesus care ? 

Jesus is trustworthy and demands our trust 9:29. 
It is not the amount of faith.  It is not faith in faith. It is faith in the Messiah. The son of David.   He wasn't saying "have this much faith gets this much proportionate reward".  He was asking if they truly believed in Him. 

Jesus is trustworthy 

Faith is not some mere abstract feeling. It is focussed on Jesus. It is Who faith rightly apprehends. Jesus is trustworthy because He fulfills the Mission the Father has given Him. 

So the appeal to our congregation then is … Will you truly have faith ? Will you really recognise Jesus is trustworthy in your needs?  
3 people I know were embittered with Jesus in the loss of a child. One was 87 before she recognised it and recognised her spiritual need (75 years of bitterness).  Another is now 86 and is going to talk to me about his bitteness with God in the death of his sister accidentally at his hand when she was three.  
The third was our neighbour for the last 15 years. A few times he has told me of his atheism in the loss of his daughter while his wife is still a somewhat practicing Catholic. 
I would conclude "Don't waste your life!" Whatever the bitter need now is the time to turn to the Messiah and find Him for yourself. He is trustworthy. He will not turn you away"
He demands your trust in Him as your Messiah. 
No matter what stands in your way: despair, alienation, isolation, bitterness, step over it and set your faith on Jesus as your Messiah. He has proved it already. Trust Him! 

 

H B Charles. Covetousness

At first glance, the tenth commandment seems anticlimactic. The Decalogue begins with commands about how to love the Lord God. No other gods. No carved images. Reverence God's name. Remember the Sabbath. The Decalogue ends with commands about how to love our neighbor. Honor your parents. No murder. No adultery. No stealing. No bearing false witness. Then the Decalogue ends in Exodus 20:17: "You shall not covet."

 It may feel like this tenth commandment does not have the same gravity as the previous commandments. One may be tempted to think this Tenth Word should have been tucked earlier in the Ten Commandments to conceal its obscurity. Or maybe a more critical subject should have been the tenth commandment and covetousness be addressed somewhere else. Any such notions only confirm the Lord's thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than ours. 

The tenth commandment is no less significant than the previous nine commandments. This summary commandment makes the Ten Commandments a divine covenant, not a random list of moral laws. The first commandment and the tenth commandment are bookends that hold the Decalogue together. This tenth commandment is organically linked to commandments one through nine. Charles Spurgeon said it well: "When people break the other commandments, they often break this one first."  

The Tenth Word is unique. It is the only commandment stated twice. Exodus 20:17 says, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife." God emphatically forbids coveting. The Tenth Word is also the only commandment that is inwardly focused. The Ten Commandments primarily address our deeds and speech. This commandment addresses the motivating factors behind our deeds and speech. This is the only commandment with no punishment. There are stated consequences for disobeying the other commandments. But there is no legislated punishment for coveting. Yet God placed this command against coveting alongside murder, adultery, stealing, and bearing false witness. 

An Aesop Fable tells of a dog that was given a bone by the butcher. Trotting home with the bone in his mouth, the dog crossed over a small lake. The dog saw his reflection in the water. The dog thought he saw a dog with a bigger bone and snapped at it. Of course, he did not get the imaginary bone. In the process, he lost the bone that he had. 

This children's fable is the main idea of the tenth commandment: Watch what you want. We live in a society in which coveting is a way of life. We are a culture of coveters who live by two unrealistic principles: I want it all! I want it all now! This is not the way of God. The Lord commands us not to let our wants become greed or envy. Ephesians 5:3 says, "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints." There should not be even a hint of covetousness in the church of Jesus Christ. 

Why should you watch what you want?

The Nature of Obedience 

    The Old Testament prophets condemned the Israelites for the stubborn sins of idolatry and immorality. John the Baptist and Jesus were also prophets who condemned Israel, but not for idolatry or immorality. By the time of Jesus, Israel no longer chased whatever idol god came along. And the religious leaders had taught them to live with strict morality. Yet John and Jesus still condemned the sinfulness of Israel, especially the religious leaders. The problem was that they did not understand the nature of obedience to God is internal before it is external.

    In Matthew 5:20, Jesus declares, "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." This was radical talk. Irreligious people in our culture know the scribes and Pharisees were the "bad guys" in the story of Jesus. In New Testament times, however, they were as high as you could be spiritually and socially. No one was more righteous than the scribes and Pharisees. Yet Jesus said you had to be more righteous to enter the kingdom of heaven. This was radical because they confused being religious with being righteous. It is one thing to practice the works of obedience; it is another thing to possess a heart of obedience. True obedience is internal before it is external. This is the first lesson of the tenth commandment. The prohibition against coveting is a call to inward obedience. It is also a powerful statement of exhaustive sovereignty. 

    • The Lord commands our words and deeds. 
    • The Lord also commands our thoughts, feelings, and decisions. 

    The Rich Young Ruler asked Jesus what to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus points him to the Ten Commandments, particularly the commandments about loving your neighbor. Jesus was not teaching salvation by works. He was exposing who this man was underneath the skin. 

    The Rich Young Ruler claimed he had obeyed the Ten Commandments all his life. In Matthew 16:21, Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven; and come, follow me." Again, Jesus was not teaching a person must give up all of their worldly possession to follow him. He was exposing who this man was underneath the skin. The young man claimed to be perfect. Jesus confronted him with his covetousness and forced him to see he was not obedient where it mattered the most. Righteousness requires clean hands and a pure heart. 

    Romans 7:7-8 says, "What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.' But sin seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead." Paul examined his life by the first nine commandments and concluded he was righteous. The tenth commandment tripped him up. The command against coveting convinced him that he was a sinner. And it showed him how he was guilty of the other commandments. 

    Being right with God is not about keeping rules, rituals, and regulations. It is a spiritual matter of inward obedience. The Tenth Word proves we have broken the law of God and need a Savior. Sinners are chronic coveters who cannot please God. Only Jesus can clear your past, conquer your problems, and change your personality. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

    The Sinfulness of Covetousness 

      What is covetousness? The Hebrew word "covet" simply means "desire." It is a neutral term that can be positive or negative, depending on the context. In Exodus 20:17, the word is used in a negative sense. It is something the Lord commands us not to do. Yet this commandment is not a prohibition of desire. The Bible does not affirm Stoicism or Buddhism, which seek to eradicate desire. Desire is not sinful. 

      It is not wrong to desire blessings. Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." It is not wrong to desire marriage. Proverbs 18:22 says, "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord." It is not wrong to desire spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:31 says, "But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way." It is not wrong to desire church leadership. 1 Timothy 3:1 says, "The saying is trustworthy: if anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task." There is such a thing as holy ambition. Yet holy ambition assumes unholy ambition. Covetousness is excessive and envious desire. 

      Covetousness is excessive desire. An old country preacher visited New York City for the first time. When he returned home, he testified, "I'm glad I did not see anything I wanted." This is the sinfulness of covetousness. The stumbling block is not in what we see. It is what we want. This is the original sin which caused Adam and Eve to fall. Genesis 3:6 says, "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate." Eve lived in Paradise. Yet she became fixated on what she did not and could not have. 

        Colossians 3:5 says, "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you; sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." Covetousness is not just excessive desire; it is idolatrous desire. It is thing worship. To break the tenth commandment is to break the first commandment. The coveter worships things before God. Interestingly, covetous begins close to home. Exodus 20:17 says, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's." Covetousness is contagious. We see what our neighbor has, and desire it. The Lord commanded Israel not to covet anything that belonged to their neighbor. Advertisement, the internet, and social media seduce us to covet what belongs to people we will never meet. We spend money we do not have to buy things we do not need to impress people we do not even like. 

        A man asked Jesus to make his brother share their father's estate with him. In Luke 12:15, Jesus said, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Jesus warned to watch what he wanted. And he commanded him to be on guard against all covetousness. Coveting should be viewed as spiritual warfare against which we must always be ready to do battle. Life should not be about what you want because life is about more than what you have.

        Covetousness is envious desire. Coveting is excessive desire for something. It is also excessive desire against someone: your neighbor. Exodus 20:13-16 records terse commands: "You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." In verse 17, The Lord does not say, "You shall not covet." God forbids coveting your neighbor's house. Household is implied – the house and everything in it. This applies to people, as well as property. In parallel language, God says do not covet your neighbor's wife. 

        The Seventh Word commands us not to commit adultery with our neighbor's wife. The Tenth Word commands us not to covet our neighbor's wife. But this prohibition is not limited to your neighbor's spouse. It includes "his male servant, or his female servant" – the people that work for him. Yet the prohibition does not end there. You are not to covet your neighbor's human resources or financial resources: "his ox, or his donkey." Verse 17 ends by telling us this list is suggestive, not exhaustive. Do not covet "anything that is your neighbor's."

        Both excessive desire and envious desire are sinful. But envy is worse than greed. Greed sees what your neighbor has and sparks a desire for it. Envy is personal. It sees what your neighbor has and sparks a desire for it. It also sparks a desire for your neighbor not to have it. Greed wants a house like your neighbor's. Envy wants your neighbor's house.

        • Coveting caused Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden tree to be like God. 
        • Coveting caused Achan to steal things devoted to the Lord from Jericho. 
        • Coveting caused David to sleep with Bathsheba and kill her husband Uriah. 
        • Coveting caused Ahab and Jezebel to lie on Naboth, stone him, and take his vineyard. 
        • Coveting caused Judas to steal money and betray Jesus. 

        The sixth, seventh, and eighth words forbid sinning against our neighbor by our deeds. The ninth word forbids sinning against our neighbor with our speech. The tenth word forbids sinning against our neighbor in our thoughts. Romans 10:8-10 says, "Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,' and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."

        The Wellspring of the Heart 

          Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." A wellspring is an underground source from which waters flow. The heart is the wellspring from which flow our thoughts, words, desires, choices, and behavior. It is hard to change live downstream instead of upstream. You work to remove pollution in the water. But the pollution remains. If you go upstream and remove the source of the pollution, the water will naturally become purer downstream. A.W. Pink wrote, "The best way to keep men from committing sin in act is to keep them from desiring it in heart." Here are three ways to guard your heart against coveting. 

          Generosity. The renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Karl Menninger, was asked, "What would you advise a person to do if he felt a nervous breakdown coming on?" His answer was surprising. He did not say to consult a mental-health professional. Instead, Menninger replied, "Look up your house, go across the railway tracks, find someone in need, and do something to help that person." 

            This is also good advice for guarding your heart against covetousness. Coveting is an internal problem. There is no internal solution for this internal problem. You will be defeated if you allow covetousness to have free reign within. You experience victory when you drag the darkness of covetousness into the light of generosity. A baby is born with clenched fists. A man dies with open hands. Live and death teach us the things of this world do not last. Jim Elliot was right: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

             In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus says, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also." This is a supracultural principle. We think our treasure follows our hearts. Jesus our hearts follow our treasure. It is not wrong to lay up treasures for yourself. But do not spend your life investing in that which will not last. 

            1 Timothy 6:17-19 says, "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set your hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasures for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they make take hold of that which is truly live."

            Thanksgiving. It is understood that the Lord commands Israel not to covet their neighbor's wife, house, or servants. It is odd that the Lord also commands them not to covet their neighbor's ox or donkey. This command was given to people who lived in an agricultural society. Outside of priests and Levites, the people made a living by working the land. An ox and donkey were standard equipment the farmer needed to do his work. They were essential resources, not extravagant resources. No one had a name-brand ox. No one had a designer donkey. An ox was an ox, and a donkey was a donkey. The typical person had one. Everyone who had one had the same thing the typical person had. Yet the Lord needed it necessary to command his people not to covet their neighbor's ox or donkey. John J. David observed: "Covetousness has a psychologically degrading effect upon an individual." Covetousness is spiritual paranoia. 

            • Covetousness is convinced that something good is being withheld from you. 
            • Covetousness is convinced that others unfairly have it better than you. 
            • Covetousness is convinced that person, place, or thing is key to their happiness.

            The way to rid your heart of the paranoia of covetousness is to drown it in the floodwaters of grateful praise. Give thanks for life, health, and strength. Give thanks for family, friends, and loved ones. Give thanks for food, clothing, and shelter. Give thanks for mercy, grace, and kindness. Above all, give thanks for the Lord Jesus Christ! A stubborn unbeliever told Charles Spurgeon, "If the Lord ever saves someone like me, he'll never hear the end of it!" May that be your testimony! Psalm 103:1-2 says, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."

            Contentment. To covet is to have a high view of material things. To covet is to have a low view of your neighbor. To covet is to have a wrong view of God. James 4:2-3 says, "You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." This is the most serious problem of coveting. Beyond a wrong attitude toward things and people, to covet is to have the wrong attitude toward God. Psalm 84:11 says, "For the Lord God is a sun and a shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly." The covetous heart disbelieves this promise. 

            • It thinks God is against you. 
            • It feels God is holding out on you. 
            • It acts as if God cannot be trusted. 

            The cure for covetousness is contentment. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into this world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content." Contentment is not settling for less. It is trusting God for the rest. It is the picture of a city that has enough internal resources that they do not need to export anything to survive. Contentment is not a life without needs, wants, or goals. It is to live in the joy of internal resources without worrying about external circumstances. 

            In Philippians 4:11-13, Paul wrote, "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me."


            Tuesday, April 01, 2025

             

            Chuck Lawless. Reignite Your Preaching

            10 Ways to Re-ignite Your Preaching Ministry This Week

            By Chuck Lawless 

            Even those of us who love to preach sometimes lose our passion for the work, even if it's for only a few weeks. If you've lost some of your passion for preaching the Word, maybe these simple steps will help light your fire again this week. 

            1. Remember your calling. Go back to the beginning – back to your first understanding of God's call on your life. Something just happens to us when we re-live the excitement of God's hand on us. 
            2. Think about the believers around the world who would long to be able to preach the Word freely. The time that you have to preach the Scriptures next Sunday will be longer that some believers have in their lifetime to preach without threat on their lives. Don't take your opportunity for granted.
            3. Pray about preaching a favorite text. You want to follow the Spirit's leading, of course, but sometimes He leads us to a text that we just love. He graciously lets us camp in fun, familiar, and encouraging territory for a week.
            4. Get prayer warriors praying for you. You might already have folks praying for you, but all of us can use more prayer support. Enlist several folks (at least 3-5 people) who will intercede for you this week – even perhaps taking a day to fast on your behalf. I assure you that you'll approach preaching differently when you know you've been covered in prayer. 
            5. Intentionally make/take more time to prepare your sermon. Set aside more hours this week, and protect that time. Ask your leaders to help protect your time with God. It's a basic step, but it'll pay off with renewed preaching vigor. 
            6. If you're not already doing it, start preaching through a book of the Bible. This kind of preaching not only helps you teach the Word to your church, but it also helps you know where you're headed with your sermons each week. Just knowing that information can help release some stress.
            7. Get rid of private sin in your life. Few things hinder our preaching like our personal sin does. On the other hand, preaching is seldom more enjoyable than when we stand before God's people as holy, faithful leaders. Be the latter leader. 
            8. Invite some church members to critique your sermon. When you intentionally invite somebody to evaluate your sermon, you'll put more effort into the task. That may not be the best motive, but it moves us in the right direction.
            9. Listen to some sermons from your favorite preachers. Let them encourage you again. Hear the passion in their voices. Know their love for the Lord. Listen . . . and learn–and let the Lord reignite your fire.
            10. Weep over the lostness of the world and the faithlessness of the church. When we see spiritual realities, and we know that proclaiming the Word is a central way to address these issues, the task of preaching should be that much more important to us.

            What other ways would you add to this list?


            Saturday, March 29, 2025

             

            Tell the truth

            Two of the Ten Commandments address the spirituality of speech. In Exodus 20:7, the Third Word commands, "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain." In Exodus 20:16, the Ninth Word commands, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

            The Lord is listening to what you say. You may talk behind your neighbor's back. You cannot talk behind God's back. Psalm 19:14 should be our daily prayer: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." The God who hears all is the God of truth. Absolute truth is his righteous standard for all God says and hears. Proverbs 6:16 says: "There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him." The second on the list is "a lying tongue" (6:17). The sixth on the list is "a false witness to breaths out lies" (6:19). Proverbs 12:22 says, "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight."

            In sworn testimony, a witness is asked to take an oath: "Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God." This is not unnecessary redundancy. These are safeguards against the various ways of lying A witness may misrepresent the truth, omit key details, or falsely embellish a story. The ninth commandment was Israel's oath to witness truthfully in court. But it was not limited to Israel's legal system. It was a divine call to be godly people. God commands his people to tell the truth. John Calvin wrote, "Just as the previous commandment ties the hands, so this one ties the tongue."

             This Old Testament commandment applies to New Testament Christians. The early church was its own welfare system. Some sold their property and gave the proceeds to help needy church members. Ananias and Saphira wanted the recognition without the sacrifice. They sold property, and gave a portion of the funds to the church, but said they gave it all. The couple dropped dead in front of the congregation. Acts 5:11 says, "And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things." This severe act of divine judgment teaches an important lesson to believers and unbelievers: God deals harshly with people who do not tell the truth. In Matthew 12:36-37, Jesus says, "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." 

            We live in a dishonest society in which truth-telling is a rare commodity. But it would miss the point to spend this message lamenting the absence of truth in journalism, politics, education, business, advertisement, entertainment, and social media. The Ten Commandments were not addressed to pagan nations. God deemed it necessary to command his redeemed people to tell the truth. Before the world will hear this commandment, the church must heed this commandment. Psalm 58:3 says, "The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth speaking lies." We are all born in sin as liars. We who are born again in Christ must be people of truth. Ephesians 4:25 says, "Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another." What does it mean to be people of truth? 

            Tell the Truth about Your Neighbor. 

                The Ten Commandments are often divided into sections: 

              As the later commandments teach us to love our neighbor as ourselves, the ninth commandment is the first commandment that explicitly mentions one's "neighbor." Exodus 20:16 says, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." The point of this verse is the commandment not to bear false witness. The heart of the verse is this reference to one's neighbor. The Ninth Word is not the duty of love, not just the ethics of speech. The preceding commandments instruct us to respect the sanctity of our neighbor's life, marriage, and property. This commandment instructs us to respect the sanctity of our neighbor's reputation. 

              Proverbs 22:1 says, "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold." A name is more than a label to distinguish one person from another. A name represents a person's nature, character, and reputation. The Bible says it is better to have a good name than great wealth. You should guard the integrity of your name at all costs. You should also guard the integrity of your neighbor's name at all costs. 

              The prohibition against bearing false witness condemns perjury. Israel's courts did not have wiretaps, video surveillance, or DNA evidence. Guilt or innocence was determined by eyewitness testimony. Justice required witnesses to be truthful. Leviticus 19:15 says, "A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established." Forensic evidence consisted of multiple, credible witnesses. Exodus 23:1-3 says, "You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in a lawsuit."

              Ahab asked Naboth to sell him his vineyard, which was next to the king's palace. In 1 Kings 21:3, Naboth answered, "The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers." Ahab went home upset. But his wife Jezebel assured him she would take care of it. She instructed the elders and leaders of the city to have "two worthless men" to charge Naboth with cursing God and the king. The scheme worked. Naboth was taken outside the city and stoned to death. Ahab got the vineyard he wanted. But the Lord sent Elijah to confront Ahab in Naboth's vineyard. Elisha prophesied the dogs would lick Ahab's blood in the place where they licked Naboth's blood and would eat Jezebel. R.G. Lee preached a classic sermon on this story entitled, "Payday, Someday." Ahab and Jezebel were not judged because they stole Naboth's vineyard. They were judged because they bore false witness, resulting in Naboth's death, so they could steal his vineyard. Lying was worse than stealing. 

              The ninth commandment forbids what Ahab and Jezebel did to Naboth. But it was not just the legal implications of what they did that was wicked. It was also the moral implications. The Ten Commandments condemn the worst form of a sin. 

              The condemnation of the worst form of a sin is a condemnation of forms of a sin. Thus, we should not bear false witness by perjuring ourselves. Likewise, we should not bear false witness by slander, gossip, flattery, criticism, or insinuation. Colin Smith wrote: "God's commandments are like a railway with many stations on the line. The ninth commandment is about the line of lying. Perjury in a court of law is a station at the end of that track. You may never have been at that station, but you have certainly traveled the line." We should not wrong our neighbor by false words formally or informally, publicly or privately, in speech or print. Tell the truth about your neighbor. 

              Tell the Truth about Yourself. 

                David committed Adultery with Bathsheba. Bathsheba became pregnant. David covered his sin by having her husband Uriah killed in battle. Then David married Bathsheba, who gave birth to a son. All along, David kept silent about his sin. But a visit from the prophet Nathan revealed David's sin was not hidden from God. David repented and God forgave him. David wrote about this sordid ordeal in Psalms 51 and Psalm 32. In these penitential psalms, David does not say anything about adultery or murder. Adultery was the sin that got David in trouble. Murder was the sin he committed to cover the sin of adultery. David does not mention it either. He did not deny or downplay his violation of the Sixth and Seventh commandments. Rather, his psalms focus on his violation of the ninth commandment. In seeking to conceal his sins of adultery and murder, David did not tell the truth about himself. 

                Psalm 51:6 says, "Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart." This is the great burden of David's prayer. It was bad that David committed adultery and murder. It was worse that David was living a lie. Bearing false witness against ourselves is just as sinful as bearing false witness against our neighbor. We often bear false witness against our neighbor to avoid bearing faithful witness against ourselves. To tell the truth about your neighbor you must tell the truth about yourself. Arthur W. Pink wrote: "The prohibition against bearing false witness against my neighbor equally forbids me to bear false witness about myself, which is done when I pose ass being holier than I am or when I present to be more humble of more anything else than is actually the case."

                The word "hypocrite" means "actor." It was the term for performers who donned a mask, went on stage, and played a role. In our culture, actors are celebrities. In Greek culture, they were notorious. This was the term Jesus regularly used to criticize ungodly people. He did not use it for prostitutes, tax collectors, or other notorious sinners. He used it for the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus viewed the religious leaders to be play-actors who pretended to be something before others that they knew they were not before God. With rare exceptions, none of the religious leaders followed Jesus. They could not deal with the truth about God because they did not want to deal with the truth about themselves. In John 8:31-32, Jesus said, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." To follow Jesus is to love the truth, learn the truth, and live the truth. J.I. Packer wrote, "There is no godliness without truthfulness."

                There are two ways to live. You can lie about who you really are. 1 John 1:8 says, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:10 says, "If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." To be in sin is to lie to yourself and to call God a liar. But there is another way! 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

                Tell the Truth about the Lord. 

                God is the God of truth. Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said it, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?" "Titus 1:2 says "God never lies." Romans 3:4 says, "Let God be true through every one were a liar." In John 14:6, the Lord Jesus Christ declares, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." In John 16:13, Jesus said to his disciples, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come." Truth is the essence, nature, and character of the Godhead. Ultimately, truth-telling is not just a legal, moral, or ethical issue. It is a theological issue. We must tell the truth about the Lord in at least three ways. 

                Sound Doctrine. In the Old Testament, God spoke to his people through prophets. The prophets were respected leaders in Israel, among the kings and the people. The critical role of the prophets prompted counterfeits. Many claimed to speak for God who did not actually speak for God. Deuteronomy 18:20-22 says, "But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. And if you say in your heart, 'How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?' – when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come truth, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him." True prophets do not lie on or about God. 

                In the New Testament, the ministry of the apostles paralleled the ministry of the prophets. The age of the apostles ended when the canon of scripture was complete. You do not need a prophet or apostle to hear God speak today. 

                Beware that false teaching remains an ongoing threat. The Bible is inspired, inerrant, and infallible. It is thus sufficient to save sinners, mature disciples, govern churches, counsel the troubled, and transform society. Yet many of the most popular preachers are men and women who mishandle scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16-17says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." The Bible is God's self-revelation. Therefore, to misinterpret scripture is to misrepresent God. Faithful pastors and churches must be committed to sound doctrine. 

                Al Mohler wrote: "The reputation for which we must be most concerned is the reputation of God himself. Theology is speech. Doctrine is speech. The danger of getting doctrine and theology wrong is not merely to come up short on a systematic theology exam. Getting theology wrong is to bear false witness about God. It is to lie about God."

                Faithful Witness. Matthew 26:59-61 says, "Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuilt it in three days." The religious leaders sought to entrap Jesus through perjured testimony. They finally condemned Jesus through the testimony of liars who twisted the prophecy of his resurrection to be a threat of terrorism. Jesus was crucified as a result of those who bore false witness against him. The one who died because of liars died for liars. 1 Peter 2:22-24 says, "He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed."

                After his resurrection, Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Before his ascension, Jesus said in Acts 1:8, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

                Peter Leithart said, "With the Ninth Word, Jesus calls us to martyrdom." The Greek word for "witness" is our English word for "martyr." It is to witness with your life, not just your lips. Whatever it may cost you, tell the truth about the Lord. 1 Peter 2:9-10 says, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

                Grateful Praise. If God were a stingy, temperamental, closed-fisted God, we would be thankful for every blessing we received. Because God is such a generous God, we tend to take his goodness for granted. Worse, filled with sinful pride, we are guilty of spiritual plagiarism. We take credit for things in our lives that only God can accomplish. To tell the truth on the Lord is to give him the highest praise, full credit, and due glory for his grace, goodness, and greatness to you. Psalm 34:1 says, "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth." We should just praise God on good days, during favorable seasons, or after answered prayed. 

                When you only praise God when things are going your way, you lie on God. By holding back your praise you are saying that God is only good when things are good. That is not the truth! James 1:17 says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." Life is bad. Life is hard. Life is painful. Life is difficult. Life is unfair. But life is not God. God is God. And God is good! Psalm 100:4-5 says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations."



                 

                HB Charles. Illustrations

                To illustrate is to shed light on a subject. Illustrations are like windows in a house. They let the light in. They can also let in voyeurs, seeking to eye the forbidden. 
                 
                Voyeurism is not just the vice of those who want to see what they should not see. It is also the vice of those who want to show what they should not show. 
                 
                There is no place for voyeurism in the pulpit. Sermon illustrations should be like letting sunlight into a window, not like putting a spotlight on a stage. 
                 
                Here are 10 guidelines for avoiding indecent exposure in the pulpit. 
                 
                1. Thou shalt not embarrass thy neighbor. When I got married, Crystal gave me blanket permission to use anything I thought was appropriate or helpful. She had one qualification: "Don't embarrass me." I strive to keep this one commandment. So should you. Don't say anything that will embarrass your family and friends. Don't criticize, settle scores, or take shots from the pulpit. Affirm, don't embarrass. 
                 
                2. Think twice. Many inappropriate things are said in preaching spontaneously. We just don't think about it before we say it. This is why you should write out your messages. And as much as you can, stick to the script. If you stray from what you prepared, and it includes a personal reference you have not thought through, think twice. 
                 
                3. Do not boast. You should not use illustrations about what you drive, where you live, what designers you wear, how much money you have, who you know, or anything else that conveys that you have it going on. Don't use the pulpit to brag about material things! 
                 
                4. Ask permission. A simple way to stay out of trouble is to ask permission before you mention someone from the pulpit. Get permission first and you won't have to get forgiveness later. 
                 
                5. Do not use illustrations from counseling sessions.Church members do not confide in pastors (or other members) because they fear their private business will broadcast. "Please don't talk about me from the pulpit," they plead. Your people should trust their discussions with you are confidential. You undermine this confidence when you use counseling conversations as pulpit material. 
                 
                6. Spare us the details. Once or twice a year, I permit unplanned testimonies in worship. But I remind volunteers that they cannot tell it all. It just seems the more details they try to give, the more the testimony goes astray. The same thing happens in preaching. The most details about a situation, conversation, or experience you give, chances are you will over speak. The devil is in the details. So only say what is necessary to get your point across. 
                 
                7. Don't play the hero. Avoid illustrations in which you are the star. You don't want people to think more highly of you than they ought. A surefire way to produce misguided hero worship is to tell stories that feature you as the hero - the one who prayed or forgave or sacrificed or exhibited patience or led someone to Christ. Be the villain. Let Jesus be the hero.
                 
                8. Good for the soul, bad for the reputation. If there is something you need to confess, tell it to the Lord - not to your congregation! Beware, in the attempt to prove that you are human, you can give the indication that you are not spiritually qualified to preach. Even if it is something that is buried in the past of your pre-Christian days, still be careful. You want to invite prodigals home, not make the far country seem desirable. 
                 
                9. Make sure you are over it before you talk about it.When we have gone through hurts and pains and sorrows, we want to share the lessons we have learned with our people. Let those lessons sit a while. Make sure you pass the class first. Don't vomit your hurt feelings, open wounds, or unhealed offenses on your congregation.   

                10. Remember it's not about you. The best way to avoid indecent exposure in the pulpit is to stay focused on the fact that the message is not about you. Your people should learn more about Christ from your sermons than they learn about you. "For what we proclaim is not ourselves," said the Apostle Paul, "but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Christ's sake" (2 Corinthians 4:5).

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