Preferring the Outcome of Truth
Preferring the Outcome of Truth
Date: July 11, 2010 Scripture: Ephesians 4:25
Series: The Gospel for Relationships
Proposition: Speaking the truth builds unity.
Title: Preferring the Outcome of Truth
(Click for Printer Friendly PDF file of “Preferring the Outcome of Truth”)
(Click to Listen to the Sermon Audio or Right Click for “Save As” Download)
Intro: Most people don’t want to lie. There are a few exceptions, people who re compulsive liars, and lie even when there is no logical reason for it. But overall, most people have an aversion to lying. I’m going to assume you are in that category this morning. You may think: I’m not really tempted to lie.
But when you consider it more thoughtfully, you might see reasons to lie, reasons of self-protection, or gain, or as a way to have better relationships.
Transition: So the temptation to lie is there for the sake of making ourselves look better and for a number of other reasons. I saw this analysis: “A person will lie whenever he or she prefers the outcome obtained by lying over the outcome obtained by telling the truth. (From a research paper viewed on internet – 7/7/10 “Would I Lie To You? On Social Preferences and Lying Aversion”)
That tells the struggle – which outcome do we prefer? Lying (falsely) promises a safer and more profitable outcome.
And here is God’s word to the struggle, Ephesians 4:25
Main Points:
I. The passage starts with “Therefore”, which is always a clue – it means that Paul is making appoint based on a previous statement. This is the case, therefore… So you look at the immediately preceding context, in which Paul says: “put off the old man”{, or the old human being, “And put on the new one that is created by God”
Last week we saw that God would have you do something different in your conflicts – and that new thing is to bring anew you a new you to those relationships. Put off the old human being, and put on the new human being in Jesus Christ. Or put another way: Be what you are. Put off and put on
II. Paul says – Put off- put away lying.
Lying is a false statement deliberately presented as being true.
A. Consider reasons why we lie
1. Fear
- of someone’s anger or disappointment with us
- of painful consequences – being abandoned, reprimanded, punished, fired, laughed at.
2. Financial reasons
- Protect ourselves from losing money
- To try to gain money – the temptation of the seller
3. Reputation
- Losing reputation
- Or to build our reputation
So we are tempted by the perceived outcome.
B. Consider the reason to put way lying – it is ungodly-
1. It comes from the old nature, that old human being.. v 22
That old nature is all about survival and doesn’t want to be crucified with Christ – and lying springs from it.
2. Lying has its origin in Satan, who is a liar and the father of lies, Jesus said. John 8:44 Satan is the original deceiver.
C. The promised positive results of lying are a delusion:
- Proverbs 12:19, “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.”
- Proverbs 20:17, “Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.”
- Proverbs 21:6, “The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.”
The perceived outcome of lying is a delusion.
D. God hates lying.
Proverbs 12:22, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.”
Lying is a serious matter to God. And certainly this verse ought to get our attention….
Revelation 21:7–8, “He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Cf. 21:27; 22:15.)
Therefore, putting away lying….
III. And Put on… speaking the truth
Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor.
There are great motivations for this -
A. It is God’s will
The statement in v 25 is quote from the Old Testament prophet Zechariah 8:16,17:
These are the things you shall do:
Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;
Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;
17Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor;
And do not love a false oath.
For all these are things that I hate,’
Says the LORD.”
Speaking the truth is God’s will.
B. Speaking the truth is full aligned with Jesus, who is the truth
John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life.
Eph 4:21 as the truth is in Jesus.
C. It frees because the truth is reality.
The truth is reality, and it’s always better to live in reality.
Jesus said: You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free (Jn 8:32). Reality will set you free. (Two Illustrations: A Check book & E-mail attachments)
ILL: What if you decided to fudge the numbers in your checkbook to make them look better. And you believed those new numbers. And you spent based on those new numbers. Life is grand, isn’t it?
Until the day of reckoning comes. Checks bounce. Penalty fees add up. It’s foolishness isn’t it?
IV) There is an explicit motivation for speaking the truth in vs.25:
We are members of one another. The context is the call of God upon us to walk worthy of our calling – which is to anticipate by our choices now the perfect unity we will have in glory in Christ.
A. Speaking the truth promotes unity.
Here’s why: The truth is one, so it is a parallel of unity. Lies are many, they are duplicitous which comes form the word duplex – two. The truth is one, and is a foundation for unity. Duplicity is two, and is a foundation for division. That is a recipe for division.
The truth builds trust. Lies build distrust.
B. We are members of one another. Our common life in Jesus Christ is a reason to speak the truth We are interconnected.
John Piper illustrates: If the body is eating with a fork, and the eye lies to the hand about where the mouth is, why, the hand may stab the eye. In other words, when you deceive a fellow believer, it’s like deceiving yourself.
We are members of one another.
Application: A person will speak the truth whenever he or she prefers the outcome obtained by telling the truth. The outcome is a closer walk with Christ. The outcome is unity.
In faith, choose fellowship with God rather than the devil.
Choose the new anthropos over the old anthropos.
Choose unity, and fellowship.
Choose reality and freedom, not bondage.
1. Stay away from little lies. Calling in sick when you are not sick. Exaggerating the positives or negatives of some experience to make it more interesting. The little lies are picked up by someone – and tells kids it is OK to lie for convenience sake.
2. As a congregation – let us speak the truth to one another
a) At every congregational meeting, At every Board and Committee meeting. Let us have no hidden agendas.
b) And let us go speak the Word of God says even if it first makes us or others mad. His word is truth.
3. As individuals let us speak the truth to one another. Put off lies and deceits
Are you doing something in your life that you know in your heart of hearts is deceitful
You get the guilt pangs, you get the warning flags, but you ignore them because you think it will be too costly to admit your deceit. Hear God calling you today to put on speaking truth
You may need to go back and set the record straight. You get back on the right road by going back to where you got off the road. You would need to humble yourself. And why? Because you want the life and power of Jesus Christ in your life.
Conclusion: Eph 4:24 And put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Group Study Guide
Read Ephesians 4:25
Lying is a false statement deliberately presented as being true.
What are the major reasons people lie?
Consider & discuss how the following may tempt you to lie:
- Fear
- Financial Pressures
- Personal Reputation/Perception
How are the perceived outcomes for each of these reasons false and adverse to our true goals? What other things may tempt us to lie?
Biblically, we know that lying is ungodly and needs to be “put away” because it comes from the “old” nature (Eph 4:22) and has it’s origin in Satan (John 8:44).
Discuss how the perceived & promised positive outcome of lying is delusional according to the following verses in proverbs:
- Proverbs 12:19, “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.”
- Proverbs 20:17, “Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.”
- Proverbs 21:6, “The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.”
Ultimately, God hates lying. What thoughts do the following verses bring to mind?
- Proverbs 12:22, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.”
- Revelation 21:7–8, “He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Cf. 21:27; 22:15.)
Speaking the truth is the “positive put on” remedy for lying. Ephesians 4:24 quotes from Zechariah 8:16,17:
These are the things you shall do:
Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;
Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;
17Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor;
And do not love a false oath.
For all these are things that I hate,’
Says the LORD.”
Discuss the relationship of speaking the truth with proper justice and peace.
How important is truth in our representation of Jesus Christ? (Eph 4:21, John 14:6)
Jesus said, you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:32). Can you share an example of liberating aspect of truth from your own life? Have you ever been in bondage to a lie, and the embracing of truth or revelation of truth resulted in freedom or liberation?
“We are members of one another.” Why is truth critical for unity and harmonious relationships? Is trust possible when lies or deception exist? Why is trust essential for unity? Is truth essential for trust?
In application of, “we are members of one another”, consider the statement “When you deceive a fellow believer, it’s like deceiving yourself.” What are the negative implications of deception in the body of Christ? How can ministry be hindered, undermined, or destroyed by dishonesty?
Can you think of other verses in the Bible that are meaningful to you that deal with lying and honesty?
What are some of the challenges to being truthful?
How does one “speak the truth in love”? What are the difficulties in this charge?
Quietly consider where there are areas of your life where truthfulness needs to be applied. Prayerfully consider what action must be taken.
This entry was posted on Monday, July 12th, 2010 at 12:51 pm and is filed under Hammering it Home, The Gospel for Relationships. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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Date: July 11, 2010 Scripture: Ephesians 4:25
Series: The Gospel for Relationships
Proposition: Speaking the truth builds unity.
Title: Preferring the Outcome of Truth
(Click for Printer Friendly PDF file of “Preferring the Outcome of Truth”)
(Click to Listen to the Sermon Audio or Right Click for “Save As” Download)
Intro: Most people don’t want to lie. There are a few exceptions, people who re compulsive liars, and lie even when there is no logical reason for it. But overall, most people have an aversion to lying. I’m going to assume you are in that category this morning. You may think: I’m not really tempted to lie.
But when you consider it more thoughtfully, you might see reasons to lie, reasons of self-protection, or gain, or as a way to have better relationships.
Transition: So the temptation to lie is there for the sake of making ourselves look better and for a number of other reasons. I saw this analysis: “A person will lie whenever he or she prefers the outcome obtained by lying over the outcome obtained by telling the truth. (From a research paper viewed on internet – 7/7/10 “Would I Lie To You? On Social Preferences and Lying Aversion”)
That tells the struggle – which outcome do we prefer? Lying (falsely) promises a safer and more profitable outcome.
And here is God’s word to the struggle, Ephesians 4:25
Main Points:
I. The passage starts with “Therefore”, which is always a clue – it means that Paul is making appoint based on a previous statement. This is the case, therefore… So you look at the immediately preceding context, in which Paul says: “put off the old man”{, or the old human being, “And put on the new one that is created by God”
Last week we saw that God would have you do something different in your conflicts – and that new thing is to bring anew you a new you to those relationships. Put off the old human being, and put on the new human being in Jesus Christ. Or put another way: Be what you are. Put off and put on
II. Paul says – Put off- put away lying.
Lying is a false statement deliberately presented as being true.
A. Consider reasons why we lie
1. Fear
- of someone’s anger or disappointment with us
- of painful consequences – being abandoned, reprimanded, punished, fired, laughed at.
2. Financial reasons
- Protect ourselves from losing money
- To try to gain money – the temptation of the seller
3. Reputation
- Losing reputation
- Or to build our reputation
So we are tempted by the perceived outcome.
B. Consider the reason to put way lying – it is ungodly-
1. It comes from the old nature, that old human being.. v 22
That old nature is all about survival and doesn’t want to be crucified with Christ – and lying springs from it.
2. Lying has its origin in Satan, who is a liar and the father of lies, Jesus said. John 8:44 Satan is the original deceiver.
C. The promised positive results of lying are a delusion:
- Proverbs 12:19, “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.”
- Proverbs 20:17, “Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.”
- Proverbs 21:6, “The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.”
The perceived outcome of lying is a delusion.
D. God hates lying.
Proverbs 12:22, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.”
Lying is a serious matter to God. And certainly this verse ought to get our attention….
Revelation 21:7–8, “He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Cf. 21:27; 22:15.)
Therefore, putting away lying….
III. And Put on… speaking the truth
Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor.
There are great motivations for this -
A. It is God’s will
The statement in v 25 is quote from the Old Testament prophet Zechariah 8:16,17:
These are the things you shall do:
Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;
Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;
17Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor;
And do not love a false oath.
For all these are things that I hate,’
Says the LORD.”
Speaking the truth is God’s will.
B. Speaking the truth is full aligned with Jesus, who is the truth
John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life.
Eph 4:21 as the truth is in Jesus.
C. It frees because the truth is reality.
The truth is reality, and it’s always better to live in reality.
Jesus said: You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free (Jn 8:32). Reality will set you free. (Two Illustrations: A Check book & E-mail attachments)
ILL: What if you decided to fudge the numbers in your checkbook to make them look better. And you believed those new numbers. And you spent based on those new numbers. Life is grand, isn’t it?
Until the day of reckoning comes. Checks bounce. Penalty fees add up. It’s foolishness isn’t it?
IV) There is an explicit motivation for speaking the truth in vs.25:
We are members of one another. The context is the call of God upon us to walk worthy of our calling – which is to anticipate by our choices now the perfect unity we will have in glory in Christ.
A. Speaking the truth promotes unity.
Here’s why: The truth is one, so it is a parallel of unity. Lies are many, they are duplicitous which comes form the word duplex – two. The truth is one, and is a foundation for unity. Duplicity is two, and is a foundation for division. That is a recipe for division.
The truth builds trust. Lies build distrust.
B. We are members of one another. Our common life in Jesus Christ is a reason to speak the truth We are interconnected.
John Piper illustrates: If the body is eating with a fork, and the eye lies to the hand about where the mouth is, why, the hand may stab the eye. In other words, when you deceive a fellow believer, it’s like deceiving yourself.
We are members of one another.
Application: A person will speak the truth whenever he or she prefers the outcome obtained by telling the truth. The outcome is a closer walk with Christ. The outcome is unity.
In faith, choose fellowship with God rather than the devil.
Choose the new anthropos over the old anthropos.
Choose unity, and fellowship.
Choose reality and freedom, not bondage.
1. Stay away from little lies. Calling in sick when you are not sick. Exaggerating the positives or negatives of some experience to make it more interesting. The little lies are picked up by someone – and tells kids it is OK to lie for convenience sake.
2. As a congregation – let us speak the truth to one another
a) At every congregational meeting, At every Board and Committee meeting. Let us have no hidden agendas.
b) And let us go speak the Word of God says even if it first makes us or others mad. His word is truth.
3. As individuals let us speak the truth to one another. Put off lies and deceits
Are you doing something in your life that you know in your heart of hearts is deceitful
You get the guilt pangs, you get the warning flags, but you ignore them because you think it will be too costly to admit your deceit. Hear God calling you today to put on speaking truth
You may need to go back and set the record straight. You get back on the right road by going back to where you got off the road. You would need to humble yourself. And why? Because you want the life and power of Jesus Christ in your life.
Conclusion: Eph 4:24 And put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Group Study Guide
Read Ephesians 4:25
Lying is a false statement deliberately presented as being true.
What are the major reasons people lie?
Consider & discuss how the following may tempt you to lie:
- Fear
- Financial Pressures
- Personal Reputation/Perception
How are the perceived outcomes for each of these reasons false and adverse to our true goals? What other things may tempt us to lie?
Biblically, we know that lying is ungodly and needs to be “put away” because it comes from the “old” nature (Eph 4:22) and has it’s origin in Satan (John 8:44).
Discuss how the perceived & promised positive outcome of lying is delusional according to the following verses in proverbs:
- Proverbs 12:19, “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.”
- Proverbs 20:17, “Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.”
- Proverbs 21:6, “The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.”
Ultimately, God hates lying. What thoughts do the following verses bring to mind?
- Proverbs 12:22, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.”
- Revelation 21:7–8, “He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Cf. 21:27; 22:15.)
Speaking the truth is the “positive put on” remedy for lying. Ephesians 4:24 quotes from Zechariah 8:16,17:
These are the things you shall do:
Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;
Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;
17Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor;
And do not love a false oath.
For all these are things that I hate,’
Says the LORD.”
Discuss the relationship of speaking the truth with proper justice and peace.
How important is truth in our representation of Jesus Christ? (Eph 4:21, John 14:6)
Jesus said, you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:32). Can you share an example of liberating aspect of truth from your own life? Have you ever been in bondage to a lie, and the embracing of truth or revelation of truth resulted in freedom or liberation?
“We are members of one another.” Why is truth critical for unity and harmonious relationships? Is trust possible when lies or deception exist? Why is trust essential for unity? Is truth essential for trust?
In application of, “we are members of one another”, consider the statement “When you deceive a fellow believer, it’s like deceiving yourself.” What are the negative implications of deception in the body of Christ? How can ministry be hindered, undermined, or destroyed by dishonesty?
Can you think of other verses in the Bible that are meaningful to you that deal with lying and honesty?
What are some of the challenges to being truthful?
How does one “speak the truth in love”? What are the difficulties in this charge?
Quietly consider where there are areas of your life where truthfulness needs to be applied. Prayerfully consider what action must be taken.
This entry was posted on Monday, July 12th, 2010 at 12:51 pm and is filed under Hammering it Home, The Gospel for Relationships. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site
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