Okay, please sign the Bibles to Acts chapter 5, Acts chapter 5, and starting in verse 1,
Acts chapter 5, But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain
part and laid it at the apostles feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled
thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Whilst it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine
own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men,
but unto God. And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down, and gave up the Ghost. And great
fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and
carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when
his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether
ye sold the land for so much. And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her,
How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the
feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
And then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the Ghost. And the young
men came in, and found her dead. And carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And
great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. And by the
hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people. And they
were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. And of the rest, thus no man joined himself
to them, but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord,
multitudes both of men and women, insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the
streets, and laid them on the beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing
by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about
unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks and them which were vexed with unclean spirits, and
they were healed every one. Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with
him, which is the sect of the Sadducees, and were filled with indignation, and laid their
hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by
night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak
in the temple to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard that, they
entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and
they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children
of Israel, and sent to the prison to them, to have them brought. But when the officers
came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, saying, The prison truly
found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors. But when
we had opened, we found no man within. Now when the high priest, and the captain of the
temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this
would grow. Then came one, and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom you put in prison
are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. Then went the captain with the officers,
and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should have been
stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high
priest asked them, saying, Did not we straightly command you that you should not teach in this
name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this
man's blood upon us. Then Peter, with the other apostles, answered and said, We ought
to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you slew and
hanged on a tree. Him hath got exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a savior,
for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these
things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. When
they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them. Then stood
up one in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among
all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space, and said unto
them, You men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do as touching these men.
For before these days rose up, Thedas, boasting himself to be somebody, to whom a number of
men about four hundred joined themselves, he was slain, and all, as many as obeyed him,
were scattered and brought to naught. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days
of the taxing, and drew many much people after him, he also perished, and all, even as many
as obeyed him, were dispersed. And now I say unto you, refrain from these men, and let
them alone, for if this council or this work be of men, it will come to naught. But if
it be of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
And to him they agreed, and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they
commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed
from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame
for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they seized naught to teach
and preach Jesus Christ.
Brother Bennet, would you mind us praying for the sabbaths?
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you, thank you for Brother Dan, thank you for the reading
of your word, Lord. Thank you, that is a powerful Lord. I pray your blessing upon us today,
as we meet here and we study and think for your word, and I pray a blessing upon Brother
Dan that you give a boldness to preach your word. In Jesus Christ's name we pray.
Amen.
Okay guys, if you just turn back briefly, because there's a section I want to focus
on, it starts in chapter 4 in fact. It's kind of the lead up to it. So if we start chapter
4, verse 32. So chapter 4, verse 32.
...sold them and brought the price of the things that were sold, and laid them down
at the apostles' feet, and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
And Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, which is being interpreted the son
of consolation, a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it and brought the
money and laid it at the apostles' feet. And chapter 5. But a certain man named Ananias
with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession and kept back part of the price, his wife
also being privy to it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. And
Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and to
keep back part of the price of the land? Whilst it remained, was it not thine own? And after
it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why has thou conceived this thing in thine
heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias, hearing these words, fell
down and gave up the ghost, and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
And a young man arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. It was about the
space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter
answered unto her, Tell me whether you sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for
so much. And Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the
spirit of the law? Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door,
and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the
ghost. And a young man came in and found her dead, and carrying her forth, buried her by
her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these
things. And the title of my sermon today is, Lying is Still a Wicked Sin. Lying is
Still a Wicked Sin. And we live in a very dishonest society. I remember when I was younger,
one of my dad's kind of little phrases, if ever you challenged him on anything, would
be, My word is my bond. And I don't hear that. I actually heard that for the first time in
ages the other day, someone say this. But you don't really hear that sort of thing.
It doesn't have to be the same as that. And I'm not saying he necessarily was, you know,
the honest person that he wanted to be. But there was, I believe, not even that long ago
when I was a youngster, lying had a lot more of a sort of, it was a lot more of an issue
than it is now. I believe society has really changed with that more recently. And I was
thinking about why has that happened? And obviously, you know, yeah, sin increases anyway.
But why is it that our society, and how is it that it's got to this point where I believe
that lying is pretty socially acceptable now? And I was thinking about this. I was thinking
about movies, movies with, you know, so often the dishonest characters are the heroes of
the movies. If you think about, you know, and obviously I don't know what's really going
on with the more modern ones now, but I remember when I was young, you know, the secret agents,
the James Bond type stuff, the con artists, they were all big movies. And these people
were people to look up to, to want to be like for young kids. Sports stars. I don't know
if anyone's watched the Premier League game of football recently, even highlights. It's
just unbelievable. It's just, they're encouraged to lie, to cheat. And it's pretty wicked.
Now, you know, I've, I once, a little while ago, I was trying to show Jack. So Jack was
playing football and I thought, look, he doesn't really watch anything. He doesn't really watch
games. He kind of needs to have an idea of what he's trying to do, you know? So I'd just
like to show him the odd highlights and stuff. And, and again, these, these guys, they're
just diving here. They're doing this and I haven't watched a full game for a while. And
we, you know, we couldn't believe it. Even more so, what I couldn't believe was the fact
that the team we're watching were wearing rainbow coloured armbands and shoelaces. And
they actually have, and then I looked into this cause this got me a bit vexed. Yes. I
looked into this and they have, they have, I'm laughing just cause that's all you can
really do, but it's, it's terrible really. But they have a training team to come into
the club and train the youngsters in the academies in tolerance of things like the LGBTQ+, whatever
it is, communities, et cetera. And they're actually going in and brainwashing young kids
in football academies. Why on earth would you ever want your kids in anything like that?
Okay. So music as well. Music again, just dishonesty is kind of promoted, cheating,
lying, et cetera, hustling. Politicians. When I was younger, it was a big deal. When a politician
was proven to lie, that was a big deal. Now, it's just what I want to offer ducks back,
isn't it? It just was a politician. They lie. Now I know we kind of knew that anyway. And
I'm thinking if you go back to maybe my parents' generation before that, you know, yeah, they
they accepted there was lies, but it was hard. You know, it wasn't as blatant. They'll just
say one thing on one hand and another thing on another. You can even show the comparison.
It's barely even mentioned anymore. And of course there are compulsive lies. Lots. You've
probably known a lot over the years. If you think back, I've known a lot of compulsive
lies. People who just cannot, can just, just lie, lie, lie. It's embarrassing, isn't it?
And where does that come from? I think it's a slippery slope. Now, okay, we are obviously
in the end times. 2 Timothy 3.13 says, but evil men and seducers shall wax worse and
worse, deceiving and being deceived. So, yeah, things are going to get worse. There's going
to be more and more deception. And of course, some of that's talking about people in power
as well. Young children, you know, I'm talking about the influences here and the brainwashing
and the encouragement, but you know, us parents here, we know that you're not teaching your
kids to lie, I hope you're not. And from a young age, you're having to pull them up on
lying, aren't you? So there's something innate obviously there as well, but it's definitely
encouraged. Now, I think we can all be a bit of a victim of this. We know, yeah, we know
we shouldn't be lying. And we know that it's wicked. If you've read the Bible through,
you're going to see what God thinks about lying. But I know myself, when I give the
Gospel to people, and I'm going through maybe Revelation 21.8, and I've heard people, and
I've done this myself, a lot of the time you'll say, even a lie, won't you? Just a lie, even
a lie, just, you know, is punishable. And okay, we're trying to appeal to them. But
it's not even a lie, is it? Because a lie, as we'll see in a minute, is a wicked sin.
And you know, we talk about white lies, and even just a little white lie, a lie is a lie.
Now, okay, Acts 4, you've got this early church growing, you've got this community under
persecution. They're bringing the money from land and houses that they're selling. Just,
you know, to make clear, they're not commanded to do that. This isn't a command, we're not
going to, you know, I'm not going to start any of the kind of, you know, secret communist
lovers here or anything. We're not going to try and encourage that. But, you know, it's
a different situation. It's the first New Testament church, and they're growing this,
they're under persecution, they're coming, and all is one. They start bringing the money
to be able to share out. Okay, so we see in verses 36, 37, Barnabas, you know, great example
there. Okay, now Acts 5, just quickly, I'm just going to read again verses 1 to 4. But
a certain man named Ananias with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession, and kept back
part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part and laid
it at the apostles fee. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled thine heart to lie to
the Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of the land? Was it remained? Was it
not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why has thou conceived
this thing in thine heart? Thou has not lied unto men, but unto God. Okay, so in verse
2, you see that him and his wife have both concocted this lie. So this is a preconceived
lie, isn't it? So it says here that his wife was privy to it, so she was aware she was
part of this. Okay, verse 3, we see that Peter rumbles him, doesn't he? Now, Peter, I don't
know if he's just a human lie detector there, or it's the Holy Spirit in him, or maybe,
like, I don't know, you guys, you know when people lie to you, you just know, don't you?
Especially when your kids lie to you, you know, and you get those people that just because
you're not, that you can't prove they're lying, they just keep lying, it's so annoying, because
you just know, and some people, they just, you know, and something like this, I can imagine,
Peter's just looking at him, looking at him in the eye, just, you're lying, yeah, and
Peter knows, and he's convicted of this. Okay, but he says, he says in verse 3, why has Satan
filled thine heart? Okay, but then in verse 4, okay, and by the way, in verse 4, it's
showing here, it wasn't, they didn't have to do this, it wasn't, well, I've been forced
to sell this land, he's saying, whilst it remained, was it not thine own, and after
it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Then he says, why has thou conceived this
thing in thine heart? So, we've got in verse 3, I'm talking about Satan filling his heart,
and then in verse 4, he's conceived it in his heart. Okay, so, point number 1, is why
do we lie? Why do we lie? Was it Satan or Ananias here that lied, or was there a reason
for this lie? Well, if you turn to James 1, so, James chapter 1, James chapter 1, and
verse 14, so, book of James chapter 1, verse 14, but every man is tempted when he is drawn
away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin,
and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Okay, so, let's look at that again.
Every man is tempted, so, he's tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed.
So, it's his own lust that draws him away, he's enticed. So, enticed here, it's incited,
this particular use of the word is instigated through evil, seduced by promises or persuasions,
persuaded or allured. So, there, that enticing, I see that there as by, that could be where
Satan comes in. Now, that could be spiritually, we know there are, you know, there are millions
and millions of devils out there, or it could be, like I said before, the influences in
the world there. So, he's tempted, he's drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when
lust hath conceived, now conceived is framed in the mind, devised, imagined, understood.
Okay, so, now, he's then starting to come up with the idea himself of what he's going
to do, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death. So, basically,
it was Ananias, then Satan, then Ananias. It was his own lust, then he was enticed,
then it was conceived in his mind. Okay, so, why his own lust? Why his own lust? Why, and
its causes of lies, and sometimes it's just that lie itself which is the lust. Well, turn
to Romans 7 while I read Jeremiah 17, 9. So, if you turn to Romans 7, Jeremiah 17, 9 says,
the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it? The heart
is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it? And we are innately
sinful. Romans 7 from verse 14, a classic bit of scripture here, for we know that the
law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not, for
what I would, that do I not, but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would
not, I could sent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it,
but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good
thing, for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not.
For the good that I would I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if
I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find
then a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law
of God after the inward man, but I see another law in my members warring against the law
of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
A wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death. I thank God
through Jesus Christ our Lord, so then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but
with the flesh the law of sin. So where does the lust come from? That first lust is our
sinful flesh. Okay, but how are we enticed? So our sinful flesh, we know we're sinful
don't we and we have that battle, that daily battle, that's Paul talking about that battle.
How are we enticed? Now there's spiritual, like I said, but also we know the Bible says
that the devil is the god of this world, okay, and like I talked about before there are a
lot of influences in this world. If you turn to Matthew 4, actually turn to Matthew 4,
and again another really, really well-known bit of scripture and there's just a couple
of verses here that really stand out to me when I think about this subject. So Matthew
4 verse 1, then was Jesus led up to the spirit, sorry, of the spirit into the wilderness to
be tempted of the devil and when he had fasted forty days or forty nights he was afterward
and hungered and when a tempter came to him he said, if thou be the son of God command
that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said it is written man shall not live
by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh
him up into the holy city and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple and saith unto
him, if thou be the son of God cast thyself down for it is written he shall give his angels
charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou
dash thy foot against the stone. Jesus said unto him, it is written again, thou shalt
not tempt the Lord thy God. Again the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain
and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, just listen to this for a sec, and the glory
of them and saith unto him, all these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and
worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, get thee hence Satan for it is written, thou shalt
worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him and
behold angels came and ministered unto him. Okay so verse 9 yeah, all these things will
I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me, and he's showing him all the kingdoms
of the world, and Jesus doesn't turn around and say get thee hence Satan you don't run
that you can't give me these, you're not able to, no he says worship the Lord thy God. He
doesn't argue with his point here which is that the devil does have the ability to give
kingdoms, the devil is the God small g of this world, and you know it never ceases to
amaze me, people that still get sucked into this politics stuff, like somehow you know
it all depends on that individual person, and you know that this kind of crazy ridiculous
false left right paradigm, and this you know where we're kind of led to believe that somehow
you know this politician is just going to suddenly change things, and we've seen it
recently with the voting in America, and yeah there's going to be little changes, but you
know it's all different shades of the same filth really isn't it, and it might be a different
angle, but it's all going the same way, because the devil does have these kingdoms to give
to people, and he does give it to people, I don't believe he gives it to politicians,
I don't honestly I don't believe they have any more power than well maybe not you and
I, but they don't have much power yeah, because you know there's so the money that even when
you look into it the influence through for example pharmaceutical injuries, mass media
bands, banking industries, like it is massive, if anyone thinks that these people have just
gone into a some sort of you know well I just want a career in politics somehow just ended
up at number 10 Downing Street or in the White House, it's beyond ridiculous, but we just
it's still easy again you're getting brainwashed by this all the time, but the point being
that then when you look at the power and you look at what we're being fed all the time
through right now we obviously TV internet, before it was it was a printing press as well,
and before that you know you know we don't have to look at oh well back then though how
did the devil influence through these ways through through the world through owning kingdoms
well you think Greek and Roman culture wasn't influenced by the devil, I mean it sure was
I mean some of that that popular culture there they still had I don't know if it was plays
gladiatorial stuff they had mock-up they still had literature etc that people were were getting
to know you some maybe couldn't read some were being narrated things and at the least
the influences anyway when the devil's a god this world of people are worshipping him through
different false religions then again that influence that dishonesty can affect us now
in it go to 2 Corinthians 4 and just to kind of hammer home that point a little bit 2 Corinthians
4 verse 3 says but if our gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God
of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious
gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them so again the God of this world
he's blinded the minds of them which believe not and there is different ways he does that
and there are spiritual ways he does that as well but I mean anyway if you ever watch
you put on animal documentaries anything it's just constantly trying to hammer home that there
is no God you know right now it's a big evolution scam isn't it the big kind of big bang stuff but
but there's many different ways aren't there or trying to lead you into all different false
religions you know Mother Nature worship whatever it is and and the God of this world is behind this
and again it you know when we look at real power where that is it's on it's in positions which can
shape society so he promotes sin doesn't he including dishonesty and and the triggers for
that there are sinful triggers for lying here so like I said he he was he's always been an
influence in the world now what was the desire of Ananias so what was it that that made Ananias in
back in acts what was his lust what was it that made him want to lie there was possibly some greed
there like I said he wasn't instructed that he had to do it but he still wanted to keep back some of
that money so there's greed greed of money we know the land was in his own power pride pride I'm to
exhort himself he didn't have to he could have turned up and just said I've sold some land here's
part of the money but there was he wanted to try and be something he wasn't and just before that
you know where I read before in in in acts for we see Barnabas doing the right thing doing doing
this great thing where Barnabas from Cyprus now that's quite a long way you know it's a boat
journey and I'm sure he could have got away with keeping what he'd wanted from it you know and
again he didn't have to bring it all but Barnabas has come he sold his land in Cyprus and brought
the money and put it before their feet and now we see straight after Ananias and Sephira just coming
up with their own kind of little lie and wanting to appear to be like Barnabas so there's a pride
issue with lying as well okay maybe there's a fear of what as well fear of what people would
think about them wanting to keep some fear of what your fellow man thinks of you could they
could have said like we said I could have said oh well we actually wanted to keep some for this
reason or that but they wanted to appear to be something they're not maybe they were afraid of
what people would think of them so why do we lie and and we all lie don't we we we try our best not
to a hope you know but we all lie and we're influenced as well we have the sinful flesh but
there are reasons and I think there are similar reasons as well okay maybe none of us are selling
land but as with Ananias greed greed of money can be a reason to lie and you might be thinking well
you know I wouldn't do that I would come to church or you might not but maybe what about maybe on
your tax return those of us who do tax returns maybe you could be a bit dishonest about that
maybe about second jobs cash work things like that tithing to a church we know we I think we've
probably heard a lot of preaching on tithing and again oh this isn't a church we're not we're not
asking for tithes here but you should be tithing are you tithing somewhere CVS who's gone for jobs
recently trying to get promotions whatever else lying on your CV pretending that you've got a bit
more experience than you have you're a bit more of a this person or that person we'll do it we've
all done it kids dishonest bunch aren't you kids with kids with with I mean I think about this in
terms of greed I mean maybe not maybe all you a bit young to get to money obsessed I hope you
don't get money obsessed but but maybe with maybe with food food can be one little lie here and
there you know pretend you haven't eaten what you have you haven't had as much as something
kids it because of that greed and and you know as we know we see it in the outer world I mean the
media for example just unbelievable just lie lie lie lies like I just talked about any announcements
that the lying with all these rules and they're used as a lying spokesperson to then you know make
a secret laws or rules or laws and first everything 610 you don't have to turn this is you all know
this scripture for the love of money is a root of all evil which while some coveted after they
have earned from the faith and pierce themselves through with many sorrows and again you know that
that made me talk about false prophets and false prophets as well why do they lie filthy Luca yeah
that's what we're told filthy Luca and and there's a way they want to try and get money out of us
out of people okay and we see you know with that there's a kind of combination sometimes with envy
or covetousness that makes people false witnesses and I hope none of us here but but we probably all
be guilty of this at some time or another and again a lot of the time that might come from a
money thing or something similar and you know and obviously there are just wicked people are there
wicked people full of deceit the Romans one talks about those talks about reprobates full of deceit
and of course there's none of those here but so greed pride what about pride save face you know
save face not get too embarrassed so I didn't say that you know I wouldn't say that I didn't do that
you know when we're caught out for something and it's not just kids that do this and I'm like my
daughter is Chuckie at the front here but but you know they will we've all done it I'm sure I'm sure
everyone is a little little lie here and there just just to make ourselves seem a bit better
than we are not to get embarrassed by something the automatic lie that people do in that as well
don't they just automatic lie straight away oh we are wicked are we and and oh well I would never
do that you know that old one you know when someone talks about someone I wouldn't do something like
that we're deep down you know maybe there's a possibility you would do something like that
to exhort ourselves you know oh I knew that you know yeah yeah oh yeah I know where that is in
the Bible yeah or or yeah I know this one off by heart you know you don't really I know a few
words of it exaggerating wealth see that I don't know if there's anyone here that's really into
that but a lot of people do don't they try and appear to be wealthier than they are appear to
be more successful and it's just a little bit of dishonesty a little bit of deceit say the right
thing mention the right kind of possession at the right time and again if you've got the possess you
got the possession but when you're trying to you know you're trying to deceive people you're trying
to make them think you're something you're not intelligence as well people love to try and act
like they're more intelligent than they are and again it's to see isn't it a lot of the time now
and ability ability as well in things you know sporting ability or ability in in you know our
DIY skills or whatever else and again I'm not you know boasting is I know this overlaps with
both a little bit but people can be dishonest with this and I've I'm not talking about you
guys but people we know people I come into contact with the lying is rife and when you
think about this so just remember these compulsive lies they do get in a vicious circle and again I
don't think there's any compulsive lies here but they do get in a vicious circle with insecurity
don't they where they start lying more because it's so insecure cuz deep down I know that they're
just a liar you know so then they start lying more and more to try and make themselves something
they're not and that's a sad state to get into and I've known people like that and it's pretty
it's embarrassing really okay problems 29 23 says a man's pride shall bring him low but honor shall
uphold the humble in spirit okay so pride will bring you low and and when you're lying for pride
it'll bring you know but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit okay what about fear fear as a
reason to life fear of being unpopular that might be something to do that and I say I don't know
again we can pretend to be someone we're not can't we and it might not be a pride reason it's more of
a fear that people won't like you fear that you won't be accepted fear of maybe disapproving the
pastor at the church or friends or family members even if they find out maybe something you've done
or something that you're trying to cover something up being a bit dishonest about things spouse even
you know fear that they'll kind of you know realize that something you said or did so we
start lying and start digging that hole fear of persecution again that that comes and and we're
seeing some stuff right now where we're going to talk about this in a minute faith doctrines
you know well I'm a Christian I look like one of those extreme ones you know you know those
real extreme Christians are not one of those oh yeah yeah you know I just just you know hate the
sin love the sinner you know yeah you know queers you know just just hate the same no I've got no
problem with anyone you know but really you're watching on repeat pastor Anderson sermons on the
reprobate doctrine you know cursing at the screen but then when you're in front of people are you
lying about that you lying about what you really believe what your real beliefs are Peter we see
that denying Jesus don't we and he's denying knowing him denying having just said that he
would never deny him and there's many examples in the Bible okay fear of trouble or harm how
about that how about fear of fear of maybe I was only going 70 mile per hour officer when you've
just been pulled over going 80 or 90 or maybe even higher fear of your boss at work maybe you're
lying about you know maybe a little lie here and there just to pretend you were a bit more
productive than you were that something happened that didn't really the reason you were late are
terrible traffic well it wasn't really was it you actually left it 10 minutes 20 minutes late you
just couldn't make up the time going 80 the whole way yeah yeah got stuck behind a learner the whole
way no it was maybe five seconds of the journey you know and a lot of time lies are based on some
truth aren't they fear of the lifestyle changes from not getting a vaccine is that going to lead
people to lie lie and pretend that they've that they that they got it or like try and find a
doctor and and you know it these are my this is my opinion on this I don't know if there's a way
around it without sinning but finding someone that you can convince to lie and then you lie
and pretend you've had a vaccine that you've haven't because you paid them enough you know
that's what some people are starting to think about now that I've heard I don't know I'd you
know I'd be interested if someone's you know got some scriptural reasons why that would that be
okay the Bible says it John 14 27 let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid we
shouldn't be afraid we shouldn't be fearful of what's going to happen in the future and we
shouldn't be fearful of making a stand for God okay so number one why do people lie okay we're
sinful we know that yeah we know about the flesh but greed pride fear okay point number two what
are the consequences of lying so what are the consequences of lying okay so if you just read
verse 5 of Acts 5 and an anise hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost and great fear
came on all them that heard these things okay God's wrath God's wrath and God you know this
is an example to us all this is example to saved Christians yes he doesn't strike down everyone
that lies but he struck down an anise here for for us to learn from this this it should be an
example to us okay if you turn to Proverbs 6 while I read Proverbs 19 5 Proverbs 19 verse 5 says a
false witness shall not be unpunished and he that speaketh lies shall not escape so we will be
punished for being a false witness and speaking lies you won't escape punishment of some degree
it might not be that you're struck dead like an anise but God clearly feels feels strongly about
this and and in Proverbs 6 and I think it's verse 16 these six things that the Lord hate yea seven
are an abomination to him they're an abomination a proud look a lying tongue and hands that shed
innocent blood and heart that deviseth wicked imaginations feet that be swift in running to
mischief a false witness that speaketh lies and he that soweth discord among brethren and he he
hates it so much he mentions lying twice here and it's an abomination to him so it's an object of
extreme hatred that's an abomination God hates it he hates it it's not just a little white lie it's
not well it's okay and this he hates it he hates it and we will get chastised and we you know we
talk about chastisement most of us probably in our soul winning presentations you know my son
despise not that they'll chase you of the Lord now nor faint when art rebuked of him for whom
the Lord loveth he chaseneth and scourgeth every Sunday we receive with him and we we should we
should be aware of that and be aware that when things aren't going well and when we're having
problems and we're lying and constantly lying about things we're most likely being chastised
and maybe speaking to you now and through his word here I mean there's so much about lying in
the Bible okay so we know that yeah we know that we get chastised we know there's God's wrath and
that should be enough for us and we see a great example of that okay what about sorry what about
hurting our loved ones we hurt our loved ones through lying can't we okay let's go back to
Acts 5 and verse 6 here and keep your finger in Acts 5 so I should have said before because we're
going to be going regularly to Acts 5 okay from verse 6 Acts 5 and the young men arose wound him
up and carried him out and buried him and it was about the space of three hours after when his wife
not knowing what was done came in and Peter answered unto her tell me whether ye sold the
land for so much and she said yea for so much then Peter said unto her how is it that ye have
agreed together to tempt the spirit of the Lord behold the feet of them which have buried thy
husband are at the door and shall carry thee out then fell she down straight way at his feet and
yielded up the ghost and the young men came in and found her dead and carrying her forth buried her
by her husband okay now Sephira was clearly wrong wasn't she she should have obeyed the higher power
she shouldn't have carried on she shouldn't have continued this and lied and I think she's given a
chance here you know when Peter said unto her you know tell me whether ye sold the land for so much
you know at this point that was her chance wasn't it and she's dealt with here um but still she's
been influenced I assume maybe it was the other way around by her husband um now verse 29 Peter
you know famous famous verse Peter and the apostles are clear we ought to obey God rather
than men so you know I don't think it's a coincidence that's in the same chapter there
in case people are just thinking well you know she just did what her husband said no we ought to
obey God rather than men and she should have obeyed God rather than her husband then um but
what a position he put he likely um again it might have been her one of them maybe they were just both
equally as wicked but you'd assume one probably started off this this lust was conceived in one
of their minds first and they've put the other one in this position now um verse seven um she
didn't know what was done did she so she could have at this point gone in when she was asked
but imagine what position she's in now she's asked by Peter so did you sell it for this much
is she going to stitch up her husband now so so he's already told this lie now she's in front of
Peter she doesn't know what's happened she doesn't know he's dead she doesn't know that he's that he's
been found out and she she chooses to lie um right so even when we're protecting others
the bible's clear here it's wrong yeah it's wrong even a wife obeying her husband here is wrong
yeah lying we should not do but what a responsibility we have as men as leaders here
turn to Ephesians 5
Ephesians 5 22 famous verses that we all read to our wives on a daily basis
wives wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord
for the husband is ahead of the wife even as Christ is ahead of the church and he is the
savior of the body therefore as a church is subject unto Christ so let the wives be to their
own husbands and everything husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and
gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with a washing of water by the word
that he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such
thing but that it should be holy and without blemish okay so submission yeah we the bible's
clear yeah we yeah the bible's clear you should be submitting to your husband's wives yeah there is
no ifs and buts you should be submitting to your husbands apart from when it's disobeying God
apart from when it's disobeying God but if we love our wives we shouldn't be putting them in
positions where they should be sinning or they they now have to make that choice to sin to
to obey us or not and and we shouldn't we we we we should sorry we should be trying to make them
as pure and holy as possible that is one of our jobs there it's clear there and and we we can
sometimes can't we can focus on the submitting part a lot and not on the other part and you know
whether whether whether God blesses and chastises you is going to affect your wife isn't it and and
even if you're not encouraging to sin what you do the decisions you make so when we go out and we
we choose whether or not we're going to sin in this way or other or like that's going to affect
us and our whole family and it affects those around around you and and the other way around
like i said maybe sephira persuaded him which you shouldn't have done obviously but we affect each
other and wives you affect your husbands as well if you're like oh just you know oh tell them i'm
not home or can you just uh you know can we just cancel that thing tell them this tell them that
or whatever it is and they're just things that come to mind there's probably a hundred different
ways and probably thousands that we've all done in our lives and ways and reasons that we've
justified or encouraged lying amongst people and we shouldn't do it um and they're preconceived
lies by the way when you're saying to each other just say this just do that just just mention that
i don't mention this it's a preconceived lie exactly what they were doing here um okay
your children too so it affects your children turn to genesis 26
genesis 26
okay genesis 26 and from verse one and there was a famine in the land beside the first famine that
was in the days of abraham and isaac went unto abimelech king of the philistines unto gira
and the lord appeared unto him and said go not down into egypt dwell in the land which i should
tell you of so journey in this land and i will be with thee and will bless thee for unto thee
and unto thy seed i will give all these countries and i will perform the oath which i swear unto
abraham my father and i will make thy seed to multiply the stars of heaven and will give unto
thy seed all these countries and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed
because that abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge my commandments my statutes and my laws
and isaac dwelt in gira and the men of the place asked him of his wife and he said she is my sister
for he feared to say she is my wife lest said he the men of the place should kill me for rebecca
because she was fair to look upon and it came to pass when he had been there a long time that
abimelech king of the philistines looked out a window and saw and behold isaac was sporty with
rebecca his wife and abimelech called isaac and said behold of a surety she is our wife
and how said she is my sister and isaac said unto her because i said lest i die for her and
abimelech said what is this that thou has done unto us one of the people might one of the people
might lightly have lined with thy wife and now shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us and
abimelech charged all his people saying he that touches this man or his wife shall surely be put
to death okay and we see a deterioration after if you know that story that deterioration their
relationship after the next thing you know the wells are being filled up with mud and stuff
of isaac's that is which abraham had had dug but invert if you again those who've read genesis
probably everyone here knows nosy stories and this rings a bell that abraham did exactly this
in genesis 12 and genesis 20 and in genesis 20 it's with abimelech okay and again it's because
of fear and he and he's lied and pretended that sarah's um sarah's his sister not his wife now
we've just seen isaac do this but he's just been promised blessings so he's just been promised
his blessings earlier um and then next thing you know he's lying and and where did he get that from
why is he doing repeating this lie so he's either heard the story or or he's just he's just for
whatever reason his father's influenced him in this um maybe maybe purposely or not um and kids
do pick up things don't they and yeah they might start off with that sinful flesh you might think
i haven't taught them lying but they don't half pick things up and we are a massive influence on
our children and if they're seeing us purposely lying and going about our days lies preconceived
lies talking about how i'll just say this or do that you might think it's for a justified reason
you're just you're just telling your kids it's okay to lie um i was thinking about a kid that
i used to coach um and his his dad was was a right liar yeah and he's you know he was a nice enough
friendly enough guy um he was quite a westernized muslim this fella and and um his son you know i've
been coaching for a while and doing a lot of one-on-ones and i was really trying and i used
to coach his younger brother sometimes as well and and you know and i've been giving him the gospel
as well and you know kind of got got a bit nice relationship going with this kid but it was
really awkward because his dad would regularly just you know it'd be a lie about the scholarship
for example that he pretended his son didn't have at the private school he's sending him to so his
son's telling me he's on a scholarship well his dad's telling me the fees are however many thousand
pound a term you know and just silly things but but it's always coming out his dad would cancel
a session uh for an excuse and then the kid would come in and i'd ask him oh you weren't well last
week oh no i was all right no my dad couldn't make it because he had this and it was just
constant but how embarrassing and what what no surprise that i'm coaching this kid and kind of
a you know i'll be coaching for a few years in the end and um and then his dad rung me like i'm
in a real problem uh basically he's been found to be lying about this lying about that he got
in trouble at school he'd been smoking weed and the toilets or whatever it no in fact i think it
was that bedroom window sitting on the roof or something whatever it was but he'd got in all
this trouble and there was lie after lie after lie they had no idea about any of it and and
you know is is it any surprise is it any surprise and it was embarrassing as well because sometimes
his dad would be telling me a lie and i would be glancing at this kid while his dad's telling me
a blatant lie and the kid's just a bit shifty just looking a bit uncomfortable because he knows he's
lying you know that's just lying to me in front of the kid and the kid knows he's like it's just
it's terrible isn't it but we do we influence our kids and we might not be as bad as that
but i mean that there was a there was obviously some bad results to that to to that situation
it also affects the church so if you read um ax five go back to ax five
and verse six ax five six and the young men arose wound him up and carried him out and buried him
in verse 10 as well verse 10 then fell she down straight away at his feet this is sephira now
and yielded up the ghost and the young men came in and found her dead and carrying her forth
buried her by her husband those poor young men did you ever read that and think that i was just
reading through this for this to sink you those poor guys you know they're probably thinking i
didn't sign up for this come to go to church you know i'm learning i want to give out the gospel
and suddenly i'm picking up dead bodies and having to wrap them up imagine if we had to do this here
you know you'd just be thinking this is that weren't part of the deal i mean alex you know
i've asked him to be an usher on the door brother alex there and probably be thinking wait a second
like i didn't include wrapping up their bodies we were i was thinking this the other day um
we were in a shop and this porn you should really upset there was it was a meat that obviously had
a problem with the fridge elo and i were kind of thinking oh the poor lady this this young girl
is having to mop up all this blood and it's just everywhere it's come out all the packets where
they've obviously defrosted or whatever else they've had some leakages and she's clean and
you're just thinking i bet she didn't imagine she was going to be doing that when she went for that
job at waitrose you know and in the same way these guys they're having to carry out dead bodies
they're wrapping up dead bodies i don't think you know these young men were were necessarily
undertakers um even even you know even not just the having a deal with that you know the results
of that sin um but just seeing our brothers and sisters suffering you know seeing them
you know when maybe they're being chastised and thinking well they're pretty righteous you know
and praying for them you know praying for each other with things that maybe could have been
avoided if you actually have been trying to live more righteously more honestly um and yeah
obviously bearing false witness we know that hurts people that hurts many people when you start doing
that okay so what about being a bad influence as well not just on our kids on those around us
you could be a bad influence you can when you're just a bit dishonest it's contagious all this
stuff is contained all sin is contagious isn't it when you're around people that just a little lie
because you know you know a lot of time people are lying and it starts to make it a bit more okay
doesn't it and yeah we're all sinners we know that we're all sinners but we should be trying
shouldn't we we should be trying trying our best and not to be a bad influence on others
proverbs 13 20 says he that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a companion of fools shall be
destroyed and we want to make sure that that we're walking with wise men and we should all try and
be wise people here and and and what part of that is not just being full of dishonesty and deceit
okay um point next point on that is it lying can hinder salvations lying can hinder salvations if
you turn to first peter two first peter two a verse 12 of first peter two says having your
conversation honest among the gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evildoers
they may buy your good works which they shall behold glorify god in a day of visitation so
the conversation is not just you're talking the conversation is behavior okay so having your
behavior honest among the gentiles so we should have honest behavior we should be known to be
honest because they will speak against as evildoers and they do don't they they'll speak against as
evildoers but we want them to notice our good works and notice our honesty now the day of
visitation here um it's it's called it's in the bible you see the day of visitation the time of
visitation and a year of visitation and in every time it's basically a time of afflictions and
distresses but in this life so it's not necessarily you know it's not judgment day or anything you
know when that's it you're dead and you're in front of god it's talking about it's talking
about um when bad times okay and they do come bad times come and in in that time we know don't we
when people are going through hard times a lot of the time that's when they're more open to the
gospel more ready for salvation in that day we want them to to behold our good works behold our
honesty and in that day of visitation think about that and think about wow you know god really you
can see god working that life and part of that is the honesty and you know and people do notice it
believe me when you're when you know especially if you're in business you're working whether you're
self-employed or not and if you're clearly just honest year after year you know do your utmost
be honest people will notice it and it will change things for them maybe in the future
now if you turn to matthew 5 turn to matthew 5
and from verse 13 from matthew 5 13 ye are the salt of the earth but if the salt of lost is
savour wherewith shall it be salted it is henceforth good for nothing but to be cast out
and to be trodden under for to men ye are the light of the world a city that is set on a hill
cannot be hid neither the men light a candle and put it under a bushel but on a candlestick
and it giveth light unto all that are in the house let your light so shine before men that they may
see your good works and glorify your god which is in heaven okay so we talk a lot about being a
shining light but part of that is being an honest person isn't it being known for your honesty
an unsafe family unsaved old friends people you care about we want them to see us see our
behavior see how we behave see our honesty and and think about that when it comes to the hopefully
that time when the holy spirits may be moving upon them maybe not maybe just they're in a bad time and
they just you know then and we want them to think about us don't we want us to be that shining light
what about out soul winning as well so we want to be filled with spirit don't we you all know
you've all been soul winning long enough when you're filled with the spirit soul winning is
generally a lot more successful i believe anyway um i think i think most people would agree with
that and if you're just full of lies you're constantly just deceiving people you've just
come off the the most recent lie to someone wife family whatever it is it's going to affect your
soul you're going to affect people getting saved um okay so why do people like greed pride fear
are three obvious reasons and there are other reasons i'm sure as well what are the consequences
of lying god's wrath hurting our loved ones and hindering of salvations are three big consequences
and again there are other consequences as well um number three what are some practical ways to
stop lying then because i think everyone here probably at some it's one way or another is going
to be guilty of this sin this is a this is a big sin in fact we all know we're guilty because the
bible says that god be true at every man a liar and and we've all lied and probably all do it in
some way or another okay so acts 5 verse 11 go back to acts 5 verse 11 says and great fear came
upon all the church and upon as many as heard these things okay so the first thing the first
practical way is get some healthy fear of the lord fear the lord yeah um we should be fearing
his his his punishment for lying we should be fearing him and i think a problem a problem that
we're all again an issue that we're all affected by is this brainwash of this queer effeminate
hippie type jesus character not the real jesus the jesus that the media portrays the jesus which
almost every kid's bible type book coloring in thing will have and and we you know our kids our
kids have you know i've recently just been getting rid of that stuff because i've got my kids you
know they're given stuff people mean well jesus coloring books stuff like that and they're just
coloring in this dress wearing long-haired hippie jesus yeah who is not the he's not the jesus of
the bible and and it's going to influence them it's going to change their perception and this
kind of hey peace peace or the morgan freeman god from all the old movies that i've ever seen
with with god in them who's just kind of this cool sky daddy who's just yeah just all come
into heaven yeah you know it's just uh we're just everyone no that's not that's not the jesus of the
bible is it and i i you know for me it's clearly that's clearly some brainwash there even more
recent movies there's some people i mean i've seen like stuff go up like youtube stuff where
you know people are like really well meaning you know christian independent baptists and
they're kind of using clips from certain movies you know to try and make a point of of some bible
verse whatever it is they're making on their video and they're using again this long-haired sort of
effeminate jesus that is in pretty much every movie isn't it of of any sort of whether it's
made by so-called christians or not and i think that we need to fear the lord we need to cut that
junk out really we need to stop stop thinking oh well it's okay your kids are just getting
brainwashed into thinking that that's the jesus you know and people will admit when they when you
say to who do you what sort of image do you think of when you think of jesus and a lot of people
will think of a skirt-wearing long-haired hippie let's be honest that that's what they might picture
now hopefully they're probably not picturing but they will we should be picturing that that white
hair flaming eyes that's what we should be picturing if anything the only descriptions
were given in the bible not the junk that that is pushed on us and came from some effeminate catholic
painter i think it was in michelangelo um started off with this junk and and we need to get rid of
that junk we need to fear god um leviticus 1911 says and you don't turn it says you shall not
still neither deal falsely neither lie one to another remember it's a commander we take serious
a command i hope that thou shalt not steal it's right next to stealing there let let's let's
think about that command let's fear god about lying okay if you turn to first peter chapter three
first peter chapter three
verse nine says not rendering evil for evil or railing for rain but contrary wise blessing
knowing that you're there unto called that you should inherit a blessing for he that will love
life and see good days let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile
let him askew evil and do good let him seek peace and ensue it for the eyes of the lord are over
the righteous and his ears are opened unto their prayers but the face of the lord is against them
that do evil okay it says if you want to love life and see good good days and guile is deceit
verse 12 it says the face of the lord is against them that do we don't want the face of the lord
against us you don't want that in life so let's try and you've got to try your utmost get get down
your knees you know ask god to help you with this if it's a problem of yours um so what about more
particular reasons for lying if maybe it's money maybe it's that greed if it's taxes tithing whatever
it is something maybe hit maybe something struck a chord with that for for some people here put put
honesty above money all right you've got to get those priorities right honesty is what you should
be putting way above seeking money keeping your own money whatever it is um we need to get our
priorities right turn back to acts and acts 4 36 and 37 we see and joses who by the apostles was
surname barnabas which is being interpreted the son of consolation of levi and of the country of
cyprus having land sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles feet what a great
example there and like i said he was out in cyprus you know i'm sure he you know he could
have he could have probably got away with half of that not even that he could have done what he
wanted in fact he wasn't under a commandment anyway but you know he's got the right priority
there um if you turn to proverbs 19 there's some good proverbs alive out in my last few servers i
keep turning to proverbs i think you can tell i'll read the book of proverbs at all but um
a lot of stuff just comes in your head from proverbs and um proverbs 19 verse 1 says
a better is the poor that walketh in his integrity than he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool
so give me a poor honest man above a lying fool any day yeah there's nothing wrong with being poor
just make sure that you walk in your integrity verse 22 of proverbs 19 says the desire of a man
is his kindness and a poor man is better than a liar you're better than a liar a poor man is
better than a liar if it's money if it's issues with that trying to boast the wealth trying to
trying to keep money trying to you know if that's an issue for you remember that a poor man is
better than a liar um lying is wicked okay chapter 20 of proverbs chapter 20 just over
the page for some verse 17 says bread of deceit is sweet to a man but afterwards his mouth shall be
filled with gravel okay now we kind of saw that almost literally with ananias poured ananias there
but um what's it talking about here bread of deceit is sweet to a man but afterwards his mouth
shall be filled with gravel um i believe that when you're dishonestly making money or dishonesty
keeping money that that should be going to the lord or whatever else it is um we quickly lose
money now i've i've experienced this when i've been through phases of not tithing for whatever
reason i've tried to justify and it's been hard with certain churches where you're like i'm giving
money for literally like they're not even doing anything with it you know borrowing having a
social club but still when i'm not giving money to the lord i have seen just expenses coming
that i just wear on earth cars broken down for the 10th time you know it's cost even more and
just things breaking in the house just money money that we can't do without you know and money will
go and your mouth will eventually be filled with gravel instead of bread you know you're going to
end up you're going to end up in financial trouble if you're robbing from the lord but
but that goes that's that dishonesty isn't it that dishonesty about money um and i'm sure if
you guys think about it and there's been times like that in your lives you might look back and
be like wow yeah actually i can see that and i i was reflecting on this recently um about times
in the past with tithing and just wow yeah times were hard then you know and i should have just
been given the first fruits of my labour um if it's if it's pride what about if it's pride so
if it's if we just said there sorry earlier we've just said you know if it's about if it's about
money yeah we should be putting money uh sorry uh we should be putting honesty above lying above
pretty honestly above money if it's pride we should be focusing on pleasing god shouldn't
we it's not about it doesn't matter what people think we should be focusing on pleasing god not
man so in acts 5 29. famous verse here then peter and the other apostles answered and said we ought
to obey god rather than men and their focus is on obeying god not pleasing appeasing impressing men
because they've just been told that you know they've been threatened and told not to not to
preach the gospel um okay proverbs 12 22 says lying lips are abomination to the lord but they
that deal truly are his delight you can like if you deal truly you're honest yeah imagine like
god is delighted in you that's something to aim towards we want to please god don't we excuse me
there um we should we should want to delight delight god he died for us you know he said
he's only begotten son and died on a cross for us so we should be wanting to please him not some
whoever it is our buddy at church or whoever you're trying to you're trying to impress you're
trying to impress by by a little lie about this or that trying to you know whatever it is to do
with pride get rid of that try and try and please god um okay if you turn to acts 24
and in acts 24
Paul is before Felix here the governor giving his defense and in verse 10 he says and Paul after
that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak answered for as much as I know that thou has been
of many years a judge unto this nation I do the more cheerfully answer for myself because that
thou mayest understand that there are yet but 12 days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship
and they neither found me in a temple disputed with any man neither raised up the people neither
in the synagogues nor in the city neither can they prove the things where have they now accused me
but this I confess unto thee that after the way which they called call heresy so worshiped by the
god of my fathers believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets and have
hope toward god which they themselves also allow that there shall be a resurrection of the dead
both of the just and unjust and herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience
to have always a conscience void of offense toward god and toward men okay so what's a conscience void
of offense towards god there and um you know what what a great way to live about how we should be
looking to live we should be looking to please god to delight god um proverbs 16 13 says righteous
lips are the delight of kings and they love him that speaketh right we're talking about the king
of kings here and it's a delight of his when we have righteous lips so good reasons good things
I think to focus on um what about lying due to fear I'm going to hurry up here last couple of
bits lying due to fear proverbs 29 25 says the fear of man bringeth a snare but whoso puteth
his trust in the lord shall be safe okay we we know don't we know we shouldn't be fearing men
that's pretty clear um and it is a snare it's a trap because the snare the trap is you start
fearing men fearing people feeling what they think fear what they might do and the result is
sin such as lying um so the answer is trust him we should trust god um turn to psalm 56
in psalm 56 verses 1-4 be merciful unto me oh god for man would swallow me up he fighting daily
oppresseth me mine enemies would daily swallow me up for they be many that fight against me oh
thou most high what time I am afraid I will trust in thee in god I will praise his word in god I
have put my trust I will not fear what flesh can do unto me okay now the fear of persecution is
probably rising in a lot of people right now um and we I mean yeah go to Acts sorry go to Acts 5
Acts 5 says verse 40 we see unto him they agreed and when they called the apostles and beat them
they commanded them that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go and they
departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to
suffer shame for his name and daily in the temple and at every house they ceased not to teach and
preach Jesus Christ so they've been beaten they've been threatened I don't think any of us have had
that yet but daily in the temple and in every house they just continued so again back to sort
of you know people are worried you know vaccines the persecution that might come with that I don't
know where that's going to go I'm not trying to get everyone in fear because we shouldn't fear it
um you know you might well you don't understand yeah I wouldn't be able to travel unless I lied
and found a way to deceive people into thinking I've had this maybe you've got family in in other
countries maybe you're stuck here you know there's there are people in situations um but things do
work out like god god trust god trust god to make things work out we don't have to sin um turn to
first corinthians 10 this is the last bit guys first corinthians 10
first corinthians 10 and verse 13
says there has no temptation take you but such as is common to man but god is faithful
who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you're able but will with the temptation
also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it there's always a way that doesn't
involve sinning jesus showed us that yeah we I'm not saying we're going to mirror jesus's life we
can all we can all be sinless but we should be trying our best to we should be planning to sin
there's always a way there is a way to escape it the the what if you know I've heard this before
when I used to read around um when I was first saying well you know is it okay to lie what if
you were in the war in nazi germany and you had uh you know you had some some jews hiding in your
house they said do you have anyone in this house then you would lie well yeah but you're taking
god out of the picture god's not going to put you in a situation where you I believe where where
sitting is your only answer and I think that verse tells me that that's not going to happen
god is going to give you away there is a way that it says there he will not suffer you to be tempted
above that year able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape there is a way to escape
and that's without sinning so then you think well then what do I do what do I do if if we're you
know persecution gets worse here you know all these restrictions rules you know what do I do
um okay turn to proverbs three and again like I said we're nearly done well I read proverbs 11 3
okay proverbs 11 3 says the integrity of the upright shall guide them but the perverseness
of transgressors shall destroy them so according to the bible the integrity will guide you your
integrity will guide you and that should be our guidance we should be seeking options seeking
ways out of things which involve keeping our integrity um okay and you know I was thinking
about this recently the rules with the churches you know now I was tempted and I could have just
started you know with this for example and again we're not a church but we are a religious
organization we're meeting together for worship okay we come under the these guidelines now
I could have just okay well we've got to sneak okay everyone parked down the road we sneak in
you know one at a time um you know and again you know is that lying maybe that's not but we
you know it's deceptive isn't it and we could do a lot and you know you might be thinking well the
stickers and stuff well you know nothing wrong with having some stickers on the floor and and
but but we could have we could have you know started trying to find all little ways out and
everything else now I personally believe I believe that that God has worked a way where when you've
actually looked into it and try to find an honest way to deal with it there is an honest way there
and I'm not saying I'll get it right all the time and maybe maybe you know some some of the things
that we do and don't do might not be right but I think that God does give us away and it might be
no that yeah then we have to to obey God and not man and maybe then you know we know that that
there are certain things that we're told to do but at this point there is a way and we should
always be looking for that for that way which which includes integrity now Proverbs 3
and last bit Proverbs 3 covers I believe all these points fear the Lord put honesty above money focus
on pleasing God and lastly trust him and just in verses 1 to 10 you see all these points come up
Proverbs 3 1 to 10 my son forget not my law but let thine heart keep my commandments for length
of days and long life and peace shall they add to thee let not mercy and truth forsake thee bind
them about thy neck write them upon the table of thine heart so shalt thou find favour and
good understanding in the sight of God and man trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean
not unto thine own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths
be not wise in thine own eyes fear the Lord and depart from evil it shall be health to thine navel
and marrow to thy bones honour the Lord with thy substance with the first fruits of all thine
increase so shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine
so we see verse seven fearing the Lord verse three and nine about the money
and honesty truth bound above about our neck verse four about pleasing God and verse five
about trusting him and I'm not saying you know it's all going to go fine for us and there are
times where we're going to have to make stands there's times where we're going to have to just
do what God says and you know and pray that that we don't receive the persecution maybe we'll get
that persecution but what I am saying is that we should have truth bound about our necks that we
should be doing our utmost to be honest we should be doing our utmost not to sin in any way and and
when we have that heart for the Lord I think God will work things out through us and I don't think
we need to be sitting and plotting and planning how we can dishonestly find a way out of certain
situations okay so last bit why do people lie greed pride and fear are three big reasons
what are some consequences of lying God's wrath hurting our loved ones hindering
salvation is a number three what are some practical ways to stop lying fear the Lord
put honesty above money and focus on pleasing God and trust him and with that let's pray
heavenly father thank you for your word thank you for your truth the ultimate truth please help us
to listen to your word listen to what you've got to say not to just come up with our own ideas our
own preconceived ways of dealing with things and and do things the way you want us to do it
with honesty at the at the top of everything we do um I pray that you'll just just help us all
now help us with the rest of the day help us to be honest witnesses of of yours out out there
preaching the gospel boldly trusting in you um and ask all these things in Jesus Christ
holy and precious name amen