Do Not Lie
Finding Freedom in the 10 Commandments • Sermon • Submitted
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Legal Dramas
Legal Dramas
Do you like Legal Dramas?
They are some of the most watched and longest running shows in television.
Law and Order (and all the varieties), The Practice, Murder She Wrote, Matlock, Perry Mason, Jag...
They all have something in common, each episode keeps us on the edge of our seat looking for one thing: “THE TRUTH”
Who done it? Why did they do it? Weeding through the lies and combing through the evidence, and we get to the end where the TRUTH is finally revealed.
The reason we love Legal Dramas is because we love TRUTH and our hearts long to find it.
9th Commandment
9th Commandment
Pilate, in , asks a question we all have deep in our hearts “What is truth?”
Bold-faced Lie- saying something that just isn’t true.
He had just asked Jesus a question:
Law and Order (and all the varieties), The Practice, Murder She Wrote, Matlock, Perry Mason, Jag...
Exaggerating the truth- making the truth bigger than it actually is.
37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
Twisting the truth- saying something that is true, but in a that isn’t fully true.
They all have something in common, each episode keeps us on the edge of our seat looking for one thing: “THE TRUTH”
- Jesus has an odd way of answering questions…He is saying “Truth is found in ME.”
Who done it? Why did they do it? Weeding through the lies and combing through the evidence, and we get to the end where the TRUTH is finally revealed.
What really matters Pilate is if YOU believe what I say is true, then who I am will make since.
Jesus has said this more directly in other places:
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
This is the thrust of the 9th commandment- to know what is truth and to live in the FREEDOM that the TRUTH brings.
The heart of this commandment is Living in the FREEDOM of the TRUTH and TRUTH is the very nature of who God is.
TRUE TRUTH, REAL TRUTH is found when God reveals Himself to us.
Reveals God to us
Reveals God to us
1) God is TRUTH.
1) God is TRUTH.
16 so that he who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth, and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes.
4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
The Hebrew phrase here literally says “Elo’him AMEN” The God of AMEN
We get the term “Amen” in our prayers from this word meaning, truthful and trustworthy.
God is a God of AMEN
He is trustworthy, He is TRUE, nothing false comes from Him because He is the origination of all that is truth.
Absolute truth is wrapped up into the very nature of who God is.
The 9th commandment is saying, “Be like God, don’t lie!”
2) God reveals TRUTH.
2) God reveals TRUTH.
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
2) God reveals TRUTH.
2) God reveals TRUTH.
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
ps 119
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
God doesn’t keep truth captive in Himself, but He reveals truth to us.
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
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The Word of God is God’s way of revealing TRUTH to us.
The 9th commandment speaks to God’s truthfulness and His desire to make TRUTH KNOWN.
but it also speaks to His abhorrence of dishonesty.
Confronts our sinfulness
Confronts our sinfulness
16 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, 19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
proverbs
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
God confronts our DISHONESTY in the 9th commandment.
1) Confronts our HIDING .
1) Confronts our HIDING .
We hide behind a lot of things:
Our self-righteousness- We point to our religious deeds, our
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Our success and accomplishments-
We present ourselves as clean, together, religious people, and we convince ourselves and others that everything is good and
“Catch Me If You Can” Leo plays a kid who pretends to be a Doctor, a Lawyer, an airplane pilot, all to hide the failures of his parents, and to avoid having to live in the reality of the situation.
For years, Rachel Dolezal led a secret life in the Pacific Northwest. Her friends believed she was a black woman with a passion for African-American issues. Others saw her as a vocal civil rights leader who later became the local N.A.A.C.P. president in Spokane, Wash.
We hide behind a lot of things:
She was also a liar, her parents said. Estranged from their daughter, her parents came forward in June 2015 to out her as a white woman who had carried on a giant ruse, exposing her in what quickly morphed from a local story into an international sensation.
She was also a liar, her parents said. Estranged from their daughter, her parents came forward in June 2015 to out her as a white woman who had carried on a giant ruse, exposing her in what quickly morphed from a local story into an international sensation.
Our egos- Our pride causes us to build an image of ourselves that we must maintain and sale to others.
If our ego is threatened we get angry, depressed, or more deeply deceptive.
Our ego is built on our successes, our accomplishments, our gifts and talents, and all the things we can point to in order to proof who we are.
We try to defend it when it is threatened, we become despondent when we feel like we are losing it, and so we often dig deeper into the lie in order to protect it.
King David seeking to cover his sin with Bathsheba by having her husband killed.
Our religiosity- we hide behind our involvement in church, our religious language, our service and sacrifices.
We are much like the Pharisees Jesus calls out in - we are WHITEWASHED tombs, clean and shiny on the outside but dead on the inside.
“Catch Me If You Can” Leo plays a kid who pretends to be a Doctor, a Lawyer, an airplane pilot, all to hide the failures of his parents, and to avoid having to live in the reality of the situation.
There is a scene toward the end where Tom Hanks finally catches up to him and is going to arrest him.
He is running around grabbing counterfeit checks and can’t believe everything is finally over.
2) Confronts our INSECURITIES.
2) Confronts our INSECURITIES.
JD Greer says: “Lying grows out of a deep insecurity we all possess in life.”
I’m not comfortable with how God has made me, what He’s promised to me… I’m not content with what He’s doing with my life or how He’ll take care of me…
So we lie, we hide, we project, we do whatever we can to convince ourselves and others that we are valuable, successful, appreciated, whole, or whatever we are trying to prove.
genesis 3- hiding because we have lost the security of being image bearers of God.
Our insecurities lead us to lie to save face, lie to get something we do not have, lie to be accepted by others, lie to feel like we matter, lie to control a situation we feel is out of our control...
The 9th commandment is confronting our insecurities.
3) Confronts our GOSSIP and SLANDER.
3) Confronts our GOSSIP and SLANDER.
Our insecurities and hiding often effect how we treat and speak about others.
The heart behind gossip and slander is making ourselves look better than someone else.
We share information in order feel important or to devalue the person we are sharing about.
We talk about them in often exaggerated ways in order to gain acceptance or to feel superior.
We slander others as we demean there character to others in order to create the image that we are more important, good, successful…or whatever we are trying to prove.
Gossip and slander are our ways to gain value, manipulate others into accepting us, or to devalue a person in order d
Instructs our following
Instructs our following
1) Instructs us to BE HONEST.
1) Instructs us to BE HONEST.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
The 9th commandment is a simple call to speak what is true.
And when we don’t we do large-scale damage, all to gain face or get something we desire to have...
Paul tells the Philippians to value what is TRUE, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise.
Though truth is mentioned, the rest of the list points further strengthens our need to place great value on the things that real and worthy of our attention.
2) Instructs us to BE AUTHENTIC.
2) Instructs us to BE AUTHENTIC.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Don’t be conformed to this world, or to someones perception of what you should be.
Don’t buy into the lies we are told that to be valuable you have to have certain toys, where certain clothing, be a part of certain groups.
That feeling of “fitting in” is a strong motivator to live deceptively.
Ground who you are in the reality that you were created in the image of a beautiful and glorious God.
You are dearly loved by your father in heaven.
Your identity is not dependent on what others thinks or the persona you create for yourself.
The 9th commandment is instructing us to be who God created and saved you to be.
Don’t hide behind self-righteousness or you ego, live authentically, confess your screw-ups, don’t hide, and BE REAL.
3) Instructs us to SPEAK TRUTH IN LOVE.
3) Instructs us to SPEAK TRUTH IN LOVE.
You guys have seen the Gieco commercial with Abraham Lincoln right?
His wife ask him if her dress makes her backside look big.
After hum-hauling around, honest Abe says “perhaps a little” and his wife storms off.
The 9th commandment instructs us not to keep our mouths shut when something needs to be said
But when something needs to be said we need to check and ensure we are speaking out of love.
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
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Our posture if speak truth is not to hurt or demean a person, nor is it to make ourselves look better.
Our truth speaking to be from a heart of love and a desire to see a person grow into who Christ desires them to be.
Promises us eternal hope
Promises us eternal hope
1) Promises us VINDICATION.
1) Promises us VINDICATION.
17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
romans 12 9-
The 9th commandment is a promise that every lie that is told will be brought to the light.
Every false life that is lived will be revealed.
Every misdeed and selfish act will be vindicated (paid for).
This is a great promise for us as believers as we can rest in knowing justice will be served and truth will be told for the wrongs done ton us.
2) Promises us VALIDATION.
2) Promises us VALIDATION.
Satan is a liar and an accuser.
10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
Satan breathes lies to us in such a way that we feel the need to convince ourselves and others that we are valuable.
But the 9th commandment is a promise of validation.
The way we counter our insecurities is by listening to who God tells us we are.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
When we let the Word of God drive our search for value and identity we will always have a counter to the schemes of Satan.
You are not a loser, you are not broken beyond repair, you are not unlovable, you are not useless...
You are not a bad mom because your kids are acting up in Walmart.
You are not ugly because you body style is different than the other girls.
You are not what others say you are or who Satan tries to convince you you are.
But you are:
A beloved child of God
A valuable part of His creation
A person with a purpose
God is a God who reveals truth, and He reveals to us who we really are in Him. Praise be to Him for letting us know.
3) Promises us VICTORY.
3) Promises us VICTORY.
We know the end of the story...
Those that are evil are thrown into the lake of fire...