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October 21, 2020 8:00 am
Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ.
There's a lot of terrible things that I terrible things I tell God about that sin got paid. If that not only with the tongue or three of the seven things God hates every list you find in the New Testament on all the terrible sins we commit, gossips and all the list is funny because some of things you and I would say they have to be right at the top of the restaurant on gossips and permeates us to live in a culture we can gossip without even realizing or doing it because it's the way the whole culture works. It's all about gossip and hateful words. Thank you for joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill your part Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhart now is once again he shows us God's word. Our world see are these words edifying to these words allow grace to the other people see whatever my situation is this is what God says only in other words, God says that one of the most important things you have to learn when you're trying to control your tongue as you have to learn the principle of things restraint.
There are some things you just shouldn't say there are some things you just shouldn't talk about is what God is saying or sometimes when you need to use restraint with me back now to Proverbs chapter 11 them illustrate this. Proverbs chapter 11 verse 12. The first part of verse 12 says this he despises his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding keeps silent, then the next verse he goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets but he is trustworthy, conceals a matter what is he saying use restraint you need to use restraint just because something is true doesn't mean you needed one broadcasted everybody if those people want part of the problem part of the solution.
What are you doing well.
It's true, I just want people to know what the truth is, now that's not what you want to tear somebody down and notice what he says he's quite clear on it. Here goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he was trustworthy, conceals a matter of matter really the question is whether they need to know or not. By the way, you can certainly have an effect on you with others where you realize it or not, go with me to Proverbs 25 in verse nine, Proverbs 25 in verse nine. In these two verses. Notice what the writer will say here the writer says, argue your case with your neighbor. He says and do not reveal the secret of another cog people straight up but don't reveal the secret of another he says or he who hears it will reproach you, and the evil report about you will not pass away. He says you will destroy your own reputation with other people and you reveals secrets see that's whittling up happening and by the way, if think about theological point of view. If someone gossips to you. I am certain they will gossip about you to see if they are telling other stories to you going to tell your stories to others.
That's the way know what just works so you have to be extremely careful here not just in the giving and but here on the receiving end so I could just go through a list of questions that five questions before you listen to someone else telling you information about people. The first question is this what is your reason for telling me while he telling you she never asked out why you're telling this you see I'm I can't fix it is not part of my promise, not on the part of solution. Why are you telling me this.
The second question is this word you get the information from see where did you get it now. I know some easy lies on the Internet everything in units.
True, you know that can put it on our message true Lysol newscast and those people always tell you the truth and where did you get the information I love the apostle Paul when it comes to this is writing his letter to the Corinthians, and he said I have been informed my brother by Chloe's people that you quarters quarrels among you.
Paul is not in quantities that I understand is quarrels among you, and I was told that by Chloe's people who are in the church so I got my information from people in the church he names who they are. Often when people gossip they don't name at all know somebody told me I'm always amazed that somebody just told me I could reveal the information I could tell you they were, but you could tell me the information, but you can tell me who the people were told would he get the information. Number three.
Have you gone directly to those involved get wrestle in that weight.
If you talk to the F you talk to her about this. If you talk to him about this and you gone directly now. Inevitably, the answer of course is what now Matthew 18 says, though, that if there's somebody involved in something like sin, you go there and you talk to them if they won't listen, you get another person until you go in talking up they don't listen and up bringing it to the whole church, and if they don't listen you treated was an but the point of it is you got it. Got to go to the source so that you bring them. If you talk to her about this. Did you talk to him about this inevitably enters always the same. No, I just want to spread the information and then number four.
Have you personally checked out the facts. Did you check out all these facts for you just simply relaying what you heard. Proverbs 1817 says that the first to present his case that seems right into another person comes forward and questioned the receipt.
This way, my wife give me this information is a quote from Dr. Phil and I love to save use that a lot. Dr. Phil says no matter how thin the pancake is it still has two sides. You see, have you heard the other side.
She did you hear the other side will know I would heard the other side. He says look that's what that's what were talking about here. In that case, he said, look, you have to understand of a check these facts out for myself.
It always seems right when you hear the first time from one person for that something of learned over all the years of marriage counseling. That's why try to counsel couples only together because if you counsel. One of them in the beginning you end up prejudice and is inevitable and I am very horny on the ministry. I can remember. I would counsel with one of the people involved for say a couple sessions and I boy, I actually had my mind the image that this person when they come in is going to have horns and they can have big teeth that hang out and again of the horrible people just as vulgar as up just for many come in my office. The delightful all by the way, we start talking about all the problems. I realize wait a minute, this what I was told before isn't true. You see there's something else. Only you know what happens in the context of like that type of counseling your prejudice. That's the beauty will in a minute. Think of this, every conflict of ever had marriage your prejudice you like your side.
That's why you're in conflict. You see your side so that's a very important part. You have to check out the facts and then the last question, I think you can always answer is this one. Can you say to the person. Can I quote you after I take check this out tonight. Inevitably worried. Don't quote me when you want to told me you should be quoted.
See, those of the questions what is the reason for you telling me this. Where did you get your information.
Have you gone directly to those involved have you personally checked out the facts and can I call you when this is over now. My biggest concern is not necessarily listening to gossip. That is a concern that my biggest concern is you propagating it yourself with your own tongue so I want to give you some steps on this five begin my first question is this.
Do you see gossip in your life is a serious sin that you need to confess to God.
My instinct tells me you'd know there's a lot of terrible things that I do terrible things I tell God about that sin glances.
I hate gossip I hate it. In fact, not only with your tongue or three of the seven things a God hates but every list you find in the New Testament all the terrible sins we commit, gossips and all the list and is funny because some of the things you and I would say they have to be right up at the top of the list are not on the list, but gossips on the list and permeates us say we live in a culture we can gossip without even realizing you're doing it because it's the way the whole culture works. It's all about gossip and hateful words Proverbs 1821 says death and life are in the power. The tone see that makes such a difference. The people turn with me now to James chapter 1, I want to show you a verse, verse 26 James one in verse 26 is a verse by the way, is the standard of your faith is a verse that tells you what kind of believer you are is not what you think. James writes this. If anyone thinks himself to be religious and James is in using the term religious in the wrong way is using it in the right way. Okay, if I say it this way if anyone of you thinks himself to be spiritual. That's the word we use. If you think yourself to be a spiritual person.
If anyone thinks himself to be spiritual and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart this man's spirituality is worthless, worthless, you can control your tongue, your religion, your spirituality is worthless.
I don't care how many times you go to church. I don't see set out if you can control your tongue, your spirituality's worth as huge. That's big. It tells us just how important this is. From our point of view so you have to see you have to see gossip as a sin agreed via sin before the Lord and confess it, what we say is very important tongue with me now to James chapter 3, and Mrs. James gives all these verses about how we talk. It's astounding. He says let not many of you become teachers, my brother, knowing that such will incur a stricter judgment.
I can remember the first time that I read that and I got boiling over want to give my life to teaching these words are going to be held against me. The words that you say God holds us accountable. He says we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says he's a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well when he says he's a perfect man. He doesn't mean perfection that were telling us means mature. If your mature man, mature men don't use either never loose with what they say they don't say things like that. They don't gossip.
They don't use hateful words no unwholesome word comes out of their mouth they want to edify and build people up. He said the reason that's important. He's a mature man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
He said no you realize your tongue is just a symptom of your heart. You see, whatever you do with your tongue is exactly what comes out of your heart. Notice he explains it. If we put bits in the horses mouth so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.
Look at the ships. Also, he says, though they are so great and driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires is is just a little thing like the bit on a horse or little thing like a rudderless ship by the horse and the ship moved where the writer or the bit tells him to. He says so also the tongue is a small part of the body and boy it boasted great things you see it boasted great things is the second thing I want to say is realize your help to conquer the tongue and use the tongue as an instrument of righteousness.
Notice this idea of realizing you need to conquer. And you can't do it on your own. He said of the tongue is a fire. He said the very world of iniquity. The tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life and is set on fire by hell. That's really strange. He says for every species of beasts and birds of reptiles. Creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.
But no one can tame the tongue is a restless evil and full of deadly poison with a tell me I can fix this on my own I can do this the energy in my flesh.
See, I just can't. I need to be very much aware of how the way I talk. You see, I need to be very careful.
I need to be very dependent on the Lord.
In fact, how you speak should be part of your regular prayer life.
I don't know if it is or not the one of the things I just confessing when I use hate for gossiping words, but also the Lord, I need you to control my tongue because of no form of the Scripture says I will be able to do this on my own. I end up saying things that I regret we need. We have to realize we had need help and then he says this he said with it we bless our Lord and father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God. For the same outcomes. Both blessing and cursing.
My brother needs thing should not be this way.
God expects more of us does a fountain send out both the same opening of the same opening both fresh and bitter water can a fig tree, my brother and produce olives, or a vine produce figs. He says, nor consult want to become freshwater is it that so we are. You see that's the problem that we have.
He says don't you see how this works are tongue reveals our hypocrisy. This a perfect setting. By the way for hypocrisy because this is where your tongues under control. You see, this is what we stand up wall single Holly love Jesus, you see they were praising God. And then we meet people and see them in and we get God bless you all and God bless you and then we get the car hate you see so-and-so in church today. You know what's going on. So with this James is that what you doing. How can you do that, how can you bless God and and then an hour later you see using hateful words of gossiping. How do you do that said, God expects better review than better than all of us of that said that's what we have to realize that we need help in order to conquer it. We need to see the sin number three. We need to use our tongue as an instrument of righteousness just what Paul said to the Ephesians. Good for edification. I love at the writer of Proverbs says he said the tongue of the wise brings a healing for that. That's a wonderful thing if you can actually speak to people and there in turmoil and you can heal them. You can give people peace when they didn't have peace you give people hope when they didn't have hope. Just on the basis of how you talk Scripture says that the wise person. That's the power of the tongue. That's what there's that's why it's such a blessing to have good counsel somebody who can really lift you up in edify somebody whose words help instead of tear you down forcefully.
Examine your motives for sharing information.
I talked about that before this and make them look bad. Does it make you look good sometimes. By the way we like to share information on a personal level because I want people to like me and if I can tell you about something about somebody who doesn't like me and knew that don't like them that you like me more. So maybe I can use that to my benefit.
Those are hateful and gossiping words. He said we need to be a whole lot more concerned about what God thinks about us and what other people think about if you think about that when it comes to your tongue. You will find yourself gossiping or saying hateful words and the last thing I want to say is this refuse that absolutely refuse to listen to those who share gossip. The last verse go with me to Proverbs 20 because I want you to see in verse 19 because it can't be cleaner than this.
Proverbs 20 in verse 19 is what the writer says he goes about as a slander reveals secrets that's gossip and then you can highlight this in your Bible. Therefore do not associate with a gossip. I don't know how much clearer that could be do not associate with a gossip usually don't do it and I've had people over the years.
Tell me things that we know.
I don't believe set out the gossip.
But whenever I have lunch with her or him we always end up in a conversation and a just start talking and I find myself sorta getting something just because it's savory. So while this is good but God says do not associate with a gossip.
And by the way, with most Christians, we do it so often that were not even aware were doing it so want to be good to give someone a gentle rebuke like before you go there, hold before you go there. I'm not part of the problem or solution. I don't think you are either.
I think this is gossip. I don't want to know most Christians would simply seek that would be a way reminding them like we don't talk like that.
That's not what we do, were not going to do that.
God says do not associate with the guys.
It's a problem of our day because it's become part of our day there is gossip in hateful words everywhere now with the Internet and everything else that some involved in all the media that were stuck with this is become part of the American life.
Prof. Princeton University ran an experiment about gossip about its velocity.
This was several years ago and he decided what he would do is to take six choice students as a professor.
Bring them to himself and tell them he's going to tell them something in secret that no one else should know six students. He's a professor and he told him this, he said that the Duke and Duchess of Windsor are planning to attend a certain University dance of Princeton and tell no one about this. Six students within a week over 2000 students in Princeton had already had the information in the second week when they found out as university officials began calling and wanting to know why they don't know about the Duke and Duchess coming then in the second week he got city officials phoned the University and demanded that they be informed about this then national press agencies were frantically phoning for all the details of the visit of the Duke in the dark two weeks. The professor observed this, he said that was a pleasant rumor, a slanderous one travels even faster than astounding. Our capacity to do something just like this. If we want to develop the loving relationship so we should have in the body of Christ, we have to deal with the sin of gossip for doing it. We have to stop and if others are doing it. We have to refuse to listen become all about the idea of telling each other. The story of Jesus, but I don't think God is ever intended for us to tell us everybody else's story to people unless the part of the problem with a part of the solution. The spring father. My fear is that this is universal among all of us, it becomes a way of life way in which we think we find ourselves listening or propagating information with each other is damaging and hurtful father I pray that we just simply give an account to you that we take your word to let no unwholesome word come from our mouth. But we should give the kind words in edify and give grace to others that we take that directly from you. Then we understand that if you hate gossip, we should do.
Father I pray that the we are convicted by our own indulgence and that this particular area of sin. I know father we have minimalize that made it sort of like a whites in a small, but it's not small to you, and it never has been, father) that are times are used for the good of others for your Christ bathroom number on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just take a listen to the message one more time. Remember the little great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online at that website you will find on today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio program is not had Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make his broadcast possible. We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting a monthly with just the one time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon that Pastor Bill delivered during a Sunday morning service of fellowship monitored visit our website SBC Nola.org that SBC and of LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds.
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